NewStats: 3,265,444 , 8,186,770 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 02:17 AM 2f5r67

President Muhammadu Buhari

An online medium, Sahara Reporters, on Monday evening reported that President Muhammadu Buhari might extend his 10-day trip to London, where he had gone to treat an ear infection.
According to the report, Buhari needs to undergo treatment for “a terrible cough that has persisted longer than the ear infection.”


The President had in the last few weeks cancelled official visits to Lagos and Rivers states, where he was represented by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
The online medium also reported that a source said that Buhari would stay in “Abuja House,” the official residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom during the trip
Meanwhile, President Buhari has said there is no big deal in his having an ear-related infection.
He said, “Is there anybody that doesn’t fall sick?” That was President Buhari’s parting shot to Nigerians on Monday as he departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for London where he is expected to see specialists over what the Presidency described as a “persistent ear infection.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had announced on Sunday that Buhari would be proceeding on a 10-day vacation beginning from Monday during which he would see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in London.
During a brief interaction he had with journalists before leaving the Presidential Wing of the airport, Buhari was asked to react to the tension being created by his ailment.


It was at that point that the President asked the reporters if there was anybody that would not fall sick at one point or the other in his lifetime.
When asked what his message to Nigerians would be at this time, Buhari simply said, “I have already told Nigerians that I am going for 10 days to get my ear checked.”
When further asked if he had communicated his decision to go on vacation to the National Assembly as required by law, the President said, “The National Assembly knows; they have been formally informed.”
With the notice to the National Assembly, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to act as President for the period Buhari will be away.
Shortly after Buhari’s interview, Adesina insisted in an interview with journalists that the President was not ill.


He said although the President had an ear infection, that had not in any way stopped him from performing his duties as the President of the country.
The presidential aide said, “The buzz going round the town is that the President is ill, but ‘ill’ will be a misnomer, it should not be the right word to use.
“The President is going for a 10-day rest and during that period he will see specialists who will look at his ear because he has been treating that ear locally for some time.
“Nigerian physicians have looked at it and now they have said ‘you are going to UK, when you get there, let specialists look at the ear.’
“They have treated it locally so it is not a question of whether the President is ill. If he is ill, it presupposes that there are certain things that he cannot do.
“But till the very last minute that he is travelling, the President performed the duties and functions of his office as the President. So illness is not the issue.”
Adesina, however, said as a human being, Buhari was entitled to a vacation.
He said with the latest vacation, the President would have rested for only 15 days since he assumed office.
He urged Nigerians to pray for Buhari so that God would take care of him and the country.
“As a human being, yes he can rest. He has been President for one full year, you know that in February he took five days’ leave, he is taking another 10 days now. That means 15 days’ leave in one year.
“You and I take more than that. So, it is natural that the President, as a human being, is taking 10 days’ rest but he is not ill.
“We need to underscore that. Rather than going into a frenzy I will urge Nigerians to just show goodwill and patriotism, they should pray for him and wish him well.
“Things about health, life and death are in the hands of God, but I believe that all is well with our President and God will take care of him and take care of the country,” the presidential spokesman said.

http://www.insidesafari.com/2016/06/president-buhari-may-extend-10-day-trip.html?m=1

NIGER Delta militants on Monday made a vow to strike some selected national formations, including Aso Villa, the National Assembly and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
They urged their occupants to leave as it resumes full blown war against the Nigerian government.

Meanwhile, tension has continued to mount in the region in view of the earlier threat to launch six missiles, which expires today (Tuesday).
Their anger, according to the militants under the aegis of the t Niger Delta Liberation Force, is to destroy any vital government institution built with oil and gas resources from the Niger Delta region.
In a statement issued on behalf of the militant group in Warri by General Akotebe Darikoro (Commander, General Duties), General Torunanaowei Latei (Creeks Network Coordinator), General Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro (Expert, Pipelines Bleeding) and General Pulokiri Ebiladei (Intelligence Bureau) of the JNDLF’s t Revolutionary Council, the militants also threatened to attack national assets in cities, such as Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna in the days ahead.
Although the specific date which the group will commence its operation was not stated in the release, they however warned residents and employees of such buildings to vacate so as not to fall victims of the attacks.
It reemphasised that the group would fire missiles simultaneously in the night to enable every Nigerians see their movements. The militants said this is to show their seriousness about actualising the nation’s breakable prospect, as predicted by the United States of America.
Other points also marked for attack by the militant group include the Defence Headquarters, the Directorate of State Security Headquarters, Police Headquarters, NNPC Towers, Supreme Court/Appeal Court and Agip Headquarters, Abuja.
Some others are Shell Headquarters, Lagos; Chevron Headquarters, Lagos; Exxon Mobil, Lagos; NLNG, Lagos and Abuja offices; Kaduna refinery and all military formations in the country.
The group in the statement said, “In our final meeting, it was resolved that the Nigerian Communication Satellite Orbit should be shut down so that it will avoid causing electronic radiation to human lives.
“Also, the following occupants of these buildings should, as a matter of urgency, vacate them immediately in their own interest, especially to save their lives, because our fight is not targeted at any human blood but to destroy all those infrastructures that were built with our oil and gas monies in this country.”
Meanwhile, some residents of the coastal communities in Delta State on Monday began massive relocation of their family to the upland area, owning to the group’s threat to launch six missiles beginning from today (Tuesday).
Some of the apprehensive coastal dwellers who arrived in Warri, Burutu, Patani and Ughelli areas of the state on Monday appealed to the militants to consider their plight as they were already going homeless in the renewed hostilities in the region.
A prominent Niger Delta leader, Chief Favour Izoukumor, described the missile launch threat as a needless venture and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to have a rethink about any military action to confront the Niger Delta militants.
Izoukumor said employing political measures could help to forestall further militants’ attacks on the nation’s oil facilities.

Source: punch

http://www.insidesafari.com/2016/06/niger-delta-militants-threaten-to-bomb.html

Nigerian troops deployed in Borno State killed some Boko Haram fighters during an encounter with the terrorists in a rural area yesterday According to the source that shared the photos, the troops also captured one terrorist alive and also confiscated their weapons and equipments.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/see-graphic-photos-nigerian-troops-kill.html?m=1

Troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army involved in Operation Sharan Daji, along with other security agencies, yesterday June 2nd, ambushed suspected armed bandits that wreck havoc on some communities in Kubau Local Government Area, Kaduna State.



At the ambush, the troops were able to kill 3 notorious armed bandits, recovered 3 Locally Made Pistols, 1 Dane Gun 1 J5 Bus with registration number KMC 33 YE KANO and a Driving License. In the same vein, the troops conducted a clearing operation around Kurmin Dande in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. During the clearance, they arrested 1 suspected cattle rustler who is undergoing interrogation.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/photos-troops-kill-armed-bandits-in.html?m=1

A woman said to be from Igbo extraction was beheaded by some angry Muslim youths in Wambai market in Kano yesterday evening June 2nd, for allegedly making blasphemous comments about Prophet Muhammad. According toSahara Reporters, the woman who sells plastics at the local market was in the company of her husband when she was beheaded.

The spokesperson of the Kano Police Command, DSP Musa Magaji, while confirming the incident said;


'At about 4 30 pm, there was a disagreement between the murdered woman and some traders bordering on religion. The woman was said to have blasphemed Prophet Mohammed, which did not go down well with the mob".
He added that timely intervention by the police prevented the husband of the woman from being beheaded as well.
http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/woman-beheaded-in-kano-over-blasphemy.html?m=1

Niger Delta militants are still going on with their economic sabotage activities. The guys blew up two more oil pipelines in Bayelsa State on Thursday, threatening to bring oil production in the country to a halt.

A militant group called Niger Delta Avengers, which has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks in recent times, said it had attacked two crude pipelines operated by Italy’s oil major Eni.

The Avengers boasted: “At about 2:00am today Niger Delta Avengers blew up the Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba crude oil pipelines in Bayelsa State."

“This is in line with our promise to all international oil companies and indigenous oil companies that Nigeria’s oil production will be zero,” the group added.

Recalled that the NDA had on Wednesday blown up two facilities belonging to Chevron Nigeria, making it the fourth time the oil major’s assets would be attacked in less than a month.

Some militants also attacked a house boat in Delta State, killing two soldiers and others in the boat.

The presidency is still yet to decide on a full attack against the military. Discussions are going on.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/niger-delta-militants-kill-soldiers.html?m=1

The Federal Government has scrapped post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, as a pre-condition to gaining ission into universities in the country. The government and stakeholders in education sector also pegged 180 as the benchmark for 2016 ission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to improve the quality of education in Nigeria.



These decisions were reached at the 2016 Combined Policy Meeting on issions to Universities, Polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria.


The Minister of Education , Malam Adamu Adamu,while declaring open the meeting, said since the federal government and stakeholders had confidence in the examinations conducted by the t issions and Matriulation Board, JAMB, there was no need for other examinations to be conducted by universities after JAMB exams. He said:


“As far as I am concerned, the nation has confidence in what JAMB is doing, the universities should not be holding another examinations and if the universities have any complain against JAMB, let them bring it and then we address it. ‘’But if JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test, then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain ission.


“The ministry expects that all candidates given ission must be from JAMB. but JAMB must stop issuing ission letters, JAMB should get in touch with institutions before offering ission to students. ‘’The closing date is November 30th and no university should exceed its ission capacity and any tertiary institution that doesn’t follow the rule, the ministry would start sanctioning them. ‘’Institutions should stop itting students into un-accredited courses in their institutions.


The institutions should stop writing JAMB to increase their quotas because JAMB cannot do that.” The minister also said institutions should stop writing J AMB to increase their quotas as there were relevant agencies to do so. Adamu also reminded the stakeholders that the criteria for ission was still in force, and asked the institutions to adhere to it. “Merit is 45%, catchment area 35% and educational development in less developed states 20%, this is for federal universities and for states universities, merit 40%, catchment 40 % and less developed local governments get 20%,’’ he said.


The Minister also asked the t issions Matriculation Board to stop extra charges on several categories of changes on issions such as the change of course, change of school and others. The Registrar of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, while talking to journalists after the meeting, said institutions were free to go above the 180 benchmark. “180 benchmark is even, no one will go below it this year. Universities can go above it. This year, we have more than enough candidates because over 1.2 million candidates scored above 180, so we have enough candidates this year. “There won’t be any written post-U TME but they would screen the candidates. It is a necessary thing to screen the candidates.



‘’We agree and the Minister of Education also agrees but the issue of taking another examination is no longer going to happen,” he said

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/read-why-fg-scrapped-post-utme-tests.html?m=1

After 10 years of unresolved marital crises, an Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Wednesday dissolved the marriage between a 42-year-old pastor and evangelist, Ms Racheal and her businessman husband, Mr Joseph Aduwo. The President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, who gave the verdict, cited frequent fighting between the estranged husband and wife.


To the former husband, the dissolution of the 10-year-old marriage is good riddance to bad rubbish.
He told the court that, "My wife, who is a pastor, an evangelist, a church interpreter and women leader, fought with nine persons in a day on our street, wearing only bra and underpants. She is a shameless street fighter."

The court’s president said he was convinced the couple could no longer live together as the petitioner insisted on divorce after several unsuccessful interventions. He ruled:

"The court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the wife claims she still loves her husband. The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Joseph Aduwo and Racheal dissolved today; both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife."

The petitioner, 59yrs old Mr Aduwo, had approached the court seeking the dissolution of the marriage with his now ex-wife who he described as a street fighter. "My wife one day engaged in fights from 8am to 11pm and residents were begging her to stop but she refused. I also pleaded with her but instead she cursed me and I was ashamed of myself.

"I had to take her pictures with my phone when she was fighting in the public with only brassier and sent the pictures to her family," he added.

The ex-wife, Racheal, had denied the allegations, saying: "I used to prepare food in the morning, afternoon and evening for my husband. The court should not grant his request for a divorce as I still love him.’’

But the court insisted: "You are free to go your separate ways without hindrances and molestation."

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/female-pastor-fights-dirty-in-lagos.html?m=1

A 24-year-old teacher, Alexandria Vera, has been accused of having sex with a 13 year old, eighth grade student.
Vera claims that the pair are in love and that the boys’ parents knew about their relationship and even approved of it. She added that his parents allowed him to sleep over at her apartment on numerous occasions. And that she would drop him off at the bus stop for school the morning afterwards.

Vera said the teen was a student in her English 8th grade class and that the romance started over social media after they met in her summer class.

The middle school teacher explains that the then-13-year-old first ed her via Instagram, and their relationship grew from there and people seemed to notice. She said he missed a class one day so she sent him a message asking him why he missed class and that was when he asked for her number.


She said one time she went to his house for school and he invited her in and introduced her to his parents as his girlfriend and his parents accepted her.
She said the first time they had sex was sometime in September of last year when she dropped him of at home and his parents were not at home.

She also said a lot of people at school noticed that they were both in a relationship.

One student told ABC 13:
“He like grabbed her butt, and everybody saw it. And then they were talking about it.”
Vera said she got pregnant in January and told investigators that the teen's family was “excited” and “very ive” when they found out. However, court documents reveal that she became nervous after Child Protective Services visited her school and interviewed the couple about their relationship so she eventually aborted her unborn baby.

Aldine ISD’s Stovall Middle School, located near Houston, Texas, has since released the following statement:


Aldine ISD has been made aware that charges have been filed against a former Stovall Middle School teacher involved in inappropriate behavior with a male student. When the allegation was made in April, the teacher was immediately removed from the school and placed on istrative leave. Aldine ISD Police investigated the incident and turned their findings over to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. The safety and security of Aldine ISD’s students and staff remains a priority of the school district.

Vera is charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child. She turned herself in on Wednesday to officers at Montgomery County Jail in Conroe, Texas, after police issued a warrant for her arrest.

Vera's bond was set at $100,000. She has met the bail condition and has been released.


http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/24-year-old-teacher-impregnated-by-her.html?m=1

A bill which if ed will elongate the validity of results from the t ission and Matriculation Board JAMB, to three years from the one year it presently stands on, ed second reading in the senate yesterday June 1st. The bill is being sponsored by Senator Joshua Lidani from Gombe.




During the deliberations on the bill, Senator Sam Egwu said he s the bill but that the extension of the JAMB results to three years will cause more confusion as most of the Universities, particularly the government owned schools, have limited space.

Senate President Bukola Saraki spoke in favor of the bill. The senators later voted in of the bill and then forwarded it to the senate tertiary education and TET Fund committee for further legislative input.
http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/06/bill-to-elongate-validity-of-jamb.html?m=1

Something need to be done....

The Borno State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) on Sunday, May 29, discovered two bomb-making factories in Dikwa.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, made the disclosure in an interview with the News men in Maiduguri. Abdullahi said that the factories were discovered during a patrol by men of the command in collaboration with the troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army.

"In an effort to comply with the directives of the Ministerial Committee on Resettlement of Liberated Towns by the military, NSCDC had deployed its personnel to Dikwa and are working hand in hand with the military. This collective effort has therefore, led to the discovery of two major bomb making factories in two abandoned houses. Our Detection and Bomb Disposal Unit, Intelligence and Detective Operation Unit in collaboration with the troops of 22 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army have since neutralised some of the live IEDs. Some IEDs making equipment, gas cylinders and a jet bomb propeller were discovered and handed over to the brigade command.

Men of the command also discovered 114 live machine gun ammunition along Dikwa-Mafa road just after Shehuri Village that was abandoned by the insurgents," Abdullahi said. Recently the command had deployed about 200 men to Boko Haram librated communities, including Dikwa, Munguno, Nganzai, Chibok and Askira Uba Local Government Areas of the state.


http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/see-photo-nscdc-discovers-bomb-making.html?m=1

On January 22, 2016, I tweeted a joke which went viral. I had said that at meetings of the Federal Executive Council, the minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, would address and say 'turn to your neighbour and say, neighbour have you blamed Jonathan today'!
Yes, it was a joke, but like most good jokes, it had and still has a basis in reality!


The President and his ministers appear ill prepared for office and the evidence of this is their inability to take responsibility for the situation of things in Nigeria.


Was it not John Burroughs who said "a man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else"?


Those words should be embossed on a plaque and placed in a very prominent location at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa.


Seeing this onition weekly may help of the Federal Executive Council take responsibility and stop acting the victim.


For example, Nigerians were shocked when the minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in December of 2015 that the Jonathan istration, which had left office six months ago, was responsible for the biting fuel scarcity the nation was and still is grappling with.


That statement by Mr. Lai Mohammed is a classic case of psychological projection (a psychological disorder characterized by a patient defending himself against his own unpleasant realities by denying the existence of the reality while at the same time blaming another for it).


And it gets worse. It is bad enough that this istration refuses to take responsibility for its own failures, it also wants to take credit for the success of others.


In a treatise bothering on megalomania, the publicity and communications team of President Buhari's office claimed the implementation of the Treasury Single (AKA TSA) as the major achievement of the first 365 days of the Buhari istration.


But for a government that prides itself on anti-corruption, that statement, fraudulent as it is, is dishonest and 'fantastically corrupt'!


First of all, the Treasury Single WAS NOT an idea of the Buhari istration and secondly the present government DID NOT initiate its implementation.


The TSA was conceived by the Jonathan istration and there was to be a staggered implementation because from an expert point of view, it was thought that if all Federal Government funds were suddenly pulled out of the commercial banking sector in one fell swoop, the shock on that sector would be so immense that it would trigger job losses and perhaps bank failures. It was thought that a gradual implementation would allow banks recover such that the baby would not be thrown out with the bath water.


Enter the Buhari istration which, in a hurry to claim credit, did not tread with caution, but in one fell swoop forcefully withdrew all Federal Government funds with the threat of sanctions to non compliant banks.


Rather than claim this as an achievement, this istration should chalk this one up as a big failure because in their rush to implement something that should have been gradual they have unleashed an unintended consequence on the banking sector such that Nigerian banks over the last year have shed something like 50,000 jobs.




As a matter of fact, the pro-Buhari Leadership Newspaper had as a major headline on September 12, 2015, 'Banks Begin Massive Sack Over Treasury Single '!


Yet, even as the reality of their rushed action stares them in the face, a Presidential spokesman has the nerve to accuse former President Jonathan of lacking the will to implement the TSA!


And the excuses continue! In order to explain away its lackluster performance, various ministers and mouthpieces of the current istration have been touring media houses blaming the precarious state of the economy on the refusal of the Jonathan istration to save for the rainy day when crude oil prices were high.


In fact, President Buhari himself said "In the First Republic, more enduring infrastructure was built with meager resources. But in the past 16 years, we made a lot of money without planning for the rainy day.”


But even as this istration is set on revising history, it should not be forgotten so soon that the Jonathan istration met about $6.5 billion in the Excess Crude , ECA, and increased it to almost $9 billion by 2012. However, the Nigerian Governors Forum, using their influence at the House of Representatives, had gotten that August body to declare the Excess Crude illegal in 2012.


So excruciating was the pressure from the NGF and most notably from then then Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, for the Jonathan istration to end the Excess Crude and the Sovereign Wealth Fund and instead share the funds in those s amongst the three tiers of government that they approached the Supreme Court, to challenge the legality of the Excess Crude and Jonathan's decision to transfer $1 billion from that to the Sovereign Wealth Fund.


Working in tandem with Amaechi and his ers in the NGF, the then minority APC of the House of Representatives approached a Federal High Court on the 7th of February, 2014, for a perpetual injunction restraining the Jonathan istration from operating the ECA and to pay all the proceeds of that into the Federation for sharing amongst the three tiers of government.


So it is quite clear that President Buhari made the accusation he made on April 4th, 2016 without cross checking the facts or consulting history. If the President is not happy that more funds were not saved in the Excess Crude , he should call a Federal Executive Council meeting and ask to get up and point accusing fingers at his ministers of transport and Power, Works and Housing.


In the last 365 days, the most consistent thing that has emanated from the Federal Executive Council is blames, excuses, finger pointing and a refusal to accept responsibility.


As at last count, the President and his ministers have excused their inability to stem the economic tide, fully defeat Boko Haram, provide jobs for Nigerians, maintain the availability of petrol, fix roads and improve power on the previous istration.


The funniest thing is that just as the media team of the Buhari led Presidency was reeling out its achievement in office on its first anniversary, two state governors were also doing the same thing.


The shocking thing however is that if you get the list of achievements released by Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike and Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, and compare them with what has been released by the Presidency, the shocking verdict is that in of tangible achievements, like roads built and houses constructed and public infrastructure, both of these states have individually outperformed the Federal Government!


Do not take my word for it. Google their released anniversary documents and compare and contrast them by yourself. Ignore such silly and intangible achievements included in the Presidential list like 'motivated the military' and 'no more road blocks and curfews' (believe me, the President's team listed these as his achievements!) and focus on tangibles like roads constructed or hospitals built etc and it becomes clear to even the most brainwashed Buhari er that both Lagos and Rivers individually beat the Federal Government hands down.


Both Wike and Ambode took over from predecessors that did not really them and who left huge debts and a high monthly wage bill, yet despite these seeming obstacles, both of them have proven the adage true that you will either find a way or you will find an excuse.


And for those who are saying that it is not realistic to expect a new government to achieve much, let me remind them that in his first year in office, former President Jonathan did not deliver excuses or blames.


In fact in his first year, former President Jonathan revived the Nigerian Railway Corporation and for the first time in decades the Lagos to Kano rail services commenced in 2012 at a cost of ₦1500. He also built nine new universities including the only federal university in Katsina state where President Buhari hails from. Inflation reduced from 10.2% to 9.4% in his first year and remained at single digits throughout his tenure. Average Life Expectancy increased from 47 years to 52 years (according to the UN). In the same period he also launched the NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X satellites to expand Internet Bandwidth and provide early warning to prevent natural disasters as well established the Automotive Development Fund amongst others.


Many Nigerians must be wondering that if the Jonathan istration was as bad as the Buhari government says it is, then how come he had to leave office before they started experiencing double digit inflation, negative economic growth rate and 'budget padding'?


In conclusion, the word 'execute' means to carry out or put into effect something. When you have a body of men and women who are not carrying out anything, it is hard to see how you can honestly call them a Federal Executive Council. What are they executing? Put it this way, are you an executive if all you do is execute excuses?

https://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/president-buharis-federal-excuses.html?m=0

•Blows up NNPC crude, gas trunk lines in Delta

•Elevates fighters to the rank of Brigadier-general

•Ijaw youths give condition for dialogue By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South, Egufe Yafugborhi, Perez Brisibe &Akpokona Omafuaire AFTER blowing up additional gas and crude oil trunk lines belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Delta State, in a twin attack, Thursday night, the Niger Delta Avengers yesterday issued a notice to the Nigerian Military, International and Indigenous Oil Companies, IOCs, to watch out for “something big.”




The fear was that the operation of the daring militant group was about to become bloody and enter the phase of abduction, which it warned about earlier. The double attack at 11.45 pm, Thursday, around Batan community in Warri South-West Local Government had sunk the nation into deeper economic quagmire.


The latest attack came less than 24 hours after two Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) facilities were hit reportedly grounding its swamp operations in Delta. Apparently amused at the depression its activities were causing the nation, the leadership of the group, in a statement by its spokesperson, Col Mudoch Agbinibo, yesterday, announced the promotion of the fighters, who carried out the devastating attacks to the rank of Brigadier-General.


“To the IOCs, indigenous oil companies and Nigerian Military, watch out, something big is about to happen and it will shock the whole world,” the group tweeted before announcing that “the high command has rewarded some brave and courageous soldiers of Avengers and promoted them to the rank of Brig.General.” The Avengers at 8.00 am, Friday, tweeted that it attacked an NNPC Gas and Crude trunk line close to Warri, Delta State at about 11:45pm on Thursday. The tweet read: “At 11:45PM on Thursday, @Niger Delta Avengers blew up another NNPC Gas and Crude trunk line, close to Warri, a pipeline that was heavily guarded by the military.”

Moments later, it dismissed the stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday between government officials and supposed militants as an affront to the people of the region. The tweet read: “The Niger Delta stakeholders meeting is an insult to the people of the Niger Delta. What we need is a sovereign state not pipeline contracts.”



Earlier in the month after the group bombed Chevron’s Valve Platform, it said: “This is just the beginning and you have not seen anything yet. We will make you suffer as you have made the people of Niger Delta suffered over the years from environmental degradation, and environment pollution.”


Avengers’ spokesperson, Col Mudoch hinted that the commander of its strike team 9 is from Eastern Nigeria, while the commander of strike team 6 that blew up the platform is an Itsekiri and the commander of the elite team one from Akwa Ibom State.


The group had also warned owners and operators of oil blocs in the region to shut down their operations and evacuate their staff latest May 26, saying “if at the end of the ultimatum, you are still operating, we will blow up all the locations. It will be bloody. So just shut down your operations and leave.”


As at the time of this report, attempts to speak with the NNPC spokesperson, Garuba Mohammad was fruitless, while security sources in the area were yet to confirm the alleged attack. However, security sources confirmed a twin attack by the group on Wednesday night. An official of the Ijaw Youth Council corroborated claims by the militants that they attacked pipelines operated by the NNPC around Batan community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. The Pipelines, Product Marketing Company and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, both subsidiaries of NNPC operate the damaged pipelines. According to a security source, both crude and gas trunk lines were severely affected in the attacks. Locals in the affected community said they heard series of explosions and people thrown into panic, as they did not know what was happening. Speaking on the incident, IYC spokesperson, Mr, Eric Omare, described the explosion as a recurring incident that is getting out of control. He asserted: “It was at the back of Batan, Warri South-West. I think the facility should belong to NNPC”.




A rights activist and community leader, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who is from the area, told Saturday Vanguard: “We have not been able to ascertain the exact point. An says it was around Bennet Island, another says it was Batan, we need to be very concrete with our information.


http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/n-delta-avengers-to-military-iocs-watch.html?m=1

IJAW youths under the platform of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC has said the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State for academic activities is the first condition for a roundtable discussion with the federal government.




IYC president, Udengs Eradiri made the declaration at Effurun, Delta State during the 2016 annual Major Isaac Boro anniversary celebration with the theme, “The ideals of Adaka Boro and the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta: The way forward.” Udengs in his speech, said: “People have started discussing. There was a meeting in Abuja yesterday (Wednesday) but I told them that such meeting would not work. “If they want us to talk, they must first open the Maritime University and start itting students, then we would now sit and talk.” Speaking further, he said: “The same issues for which Adaka Boro and Ken Sarowiwa were killed are the same issues the Avengers are raising. “There are no Avengers anywhere.



Settle these issues and the Avengers would fizzle away.” In his remark, the lead speaker at the event, Tony Uranta said: “Isaac Boro and Ken Sarowiwa died fighting for the emancipation of the Niger Delta, later we had Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and others. “But because Tompolo was taken out, new faces have come up. “Government must reassure the people of the Niger Delta that it is not yet ready to terminate the Amnesty Programme as there are still a lot of people yet to go for training.” “If you don’t engage these people, you are building up an army of discontent and the government must restructure Nigeria to a true federalism.”

“On her part, co-speaker and rights activist, Annkio Briggs while taking a swipe on the federal government on the way and manner it is handling the agitations of the region, said: “What the people of the Niger Delta region are asking for is self determination.’’ “This is different from self succession. We want to own our resources and states should be allowed to explore their own resources while paying tax to the federal government.”
http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/pipeline-attacks-ijaw-youths-give.html?m=1

Having worked twice at the Nigerian Presidential villa and once at the British Parliament, if there is anything I have learnt, it is that it is impossible to over inform a leader. You can under inform him, but no matter how much information you give a leader, you cannot give him too much information.


In today's world, strength and weakness are gauged differently than they were, say in 1984. In the millennial age in which we live in, information is power and lack of information is weakness.
My concern is that there are a lot of weaknesses in Nigeria's seat of power because not enough information is being given to President Muhammadu Buhari.

I, like other Nigerians, have heard or read reports of ministers in President Buhari's cabinet being afraid to challenge him or disagree with him. Perhaps unawares, the minister of state for petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, corroborated these reports in a recorded YouTube video now circulating where he revealed that the President ignores his ministers when they bring up issues that he does not want to discuss.

Having such anodyne personalities around you just means that you are living in a bubble, seeing things as you want them to be and not as they are.

On Friday May 20th, 2016, Dr. Yemi Kale, the Statistician General of the Federation and head of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics revealed that Nigeria's economy had not grown in the first quarter of the year but had rather shrunk by 0.36%, the worst contraction in 25 years!

Since the announcement was made, there has been various reactions with pundits pointing at this or the other as being the cause of this setback.

But I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubts that this negative trend owes more to President Muhammadu Buhari's utterances on our economy and polity than to any other single causative factor.

The bigger problem is that even though I suspect that his ministers know that what I have just said is true, they would rather pander to the President and like Dr. Chris Ngige, say that Nigerians are lucky to have President Buhari (obvious Ngige does not know the meaning of luck).

In the last eleven months, the President had traversed the globe and has spoken about Nigeria's economy as if he was the chief undertaker of our polity rather than the chief marketer that he is meant to be.

Of what benefit is it to the President's agenda or to Nigeria's economic well being for him to go to foreign nations and instead of highlighting the positive things that are happening in Nigeria, he begins to regale his hosts with the most unsavory stories about Nigeria.

And some of the stories the President tells are just that-tales. They are not factual. At best they are arguable.

You go to India for a summit where other world leaders are competing with you for the attention of venture capitalists and foreign investors and while your counterparts are talking about how great their countries are, you tell the audience how everybody in your country is corrupt except you and oh, can they come and invest in your country?

Only a foolish investor would go and invest in a country whose President thinks his citizens are 'criminals' (as the President said to the Telegraph of UK in February) and whose officials are 'fantastically corrupt' (as the President said in agreement with British PM David Cameron when questioned by Sky News).

The President speaks on the Nigerian economy and polity without any filters and his comments are causing his chickens to roost with devastating consequences for all of us.

Never in the history of Nigeria has there been such a divestment of investment as we have seen in the past year.

Truworths has pulled out of Nigeria, Virgin Atlantic has closed up shop, Iberia is pulling out, RenCap is pulling funds from Nigeria, both Alquity Investment Management Ltd. and Duet Asset Management Ltd. are divesting their Nigeria holding.

Zenith Bank laid off 1,200 staff, FCMB let go 700 employees, Ecobank sacked 50% of its top management staff. The President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye revealed that in just two months 50,000 staff were laid off in Abuja alone.

The results are telling. A little over a year ago, Nigeria was projected by CNNMoney to be the third fastest growing economy in the world behind China and Qatar yet just two weeks ago the International Monetary Fund released its World Economic Outlook and Nigeria is not even among the top 15 fastest growing economies in Africa let alone the world!

And when you try to raise the alarm, the refrain from the government and its horde of unofficial spokesmen is that the downturn is caused by the fall in crude prices.

Yet this logic is flawed. The government's own economic monitoring agency, the National Bureau of Statistics itself reported that the exponential growth Nigeria enjoyed especially from 2012 to its 2014 climax (when our economy overtook South Africa to be Africa's largest economy) was spurred not by the oil sector, but "this growth was largely driven by improved activities in the telecommunications, building and construction, hotel and restaurant and business services" to quote the NBS.

Yes, oil s for something like 90-95 percent of our foreign exchange revenues but it only s for a mere 15% of our GDP.

The service sector and the commercial and real sector are the engine or used to be the engine of our economic growth. But these sectors are heavily capital and technology intensive and require cooperation with foreign investors and when you consistently bad mouth your economy and its regulators investor confidence tanks and the result is what we are seeing today.

I President Buhari's anti corruption war but it should not be a substitute for sound economic ideas or policies.

And the way the President has carried out his anti corruption crusade is in itself self sabotaging and feeds the narrative of those who say that Nigeria is far too complex and dynamic a country to be run by someone who should be quietly collecting his pension.

And President Buhari's behavior is flowing down the pyramid. There is a contagious effect in the utterances of major figures in his istration.

For instance, when Vice President Osinbajo tells the world that the Jonathan istration looted $15 Billion in security contracts, many people in the West who like to read such stories to justify their hidden opinion that the Black man cannot govern himself, will clap for him.

Coming from the nation's own Vice President, the Western press will report the news as a fact. At that level, such a statement carries the weight of an ission.

But then ask yourself, what was the entire security budget for the five years that Jonathan was President of Nigeria?

In 2011, defense and security had a budget of ₦348 billion or just over $2 billion. In 2012 it skyrocketed to ₦921 billion or $5.7 billion. It grew to ₦1.055 trillion in 2013 or $6 billion. In 2014, ₦968 billion was budgeted for defence and security or $5.8 billion. The 2015 budget was ed in April and President Jonathan handed over to President Buhari a month later so I cannot see how the previous istration could have 'chopped' that money.

So of the $19 billion budgeted for defence and security while former President Jonathan was in office, how could $15 billion have been looted when more than half that amount went to paying salaries?

Did Vice President Osinbajo think this accusation through?

The President and his vice with their cabinet and their political appointees are not a court. They cannot convict anybody. As such when they speak this way, what it amounts to is propagandized activity.

In an anti corruption war one must separate activity from results. Results are convictions from a court after due and diligent prosecution. And when you look at it from that perspective, this istration has been delivering activity and not results.

For instance, then candidate Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressive Congress, had called the subsidy payments made by the Jonathan istration a fraud

They claimed that the amount was too high at ₦1.1 trillion in 2014.

Well if fuel subsidy had been a fraud, the first thing that should have happened naturally when President Muhammadu Buhari took over was that the amount should have reduced, but it DID NOT reduce. As a matter of fact, Nigeria spent over $5 billion on fuel subsidy in 2015 and President Buhari was in power for most of that year!

The point I am making here is that the elections are over. President Buhari and his istration should stop tarnishing the image of Nigeria in the mistaken belief that they are rubbishing the person of former President Jonathan.

The President should take in the big picture and realize that you need to be below somebody in order to pull him down.


One year has come and gone and has seemingly been wasted pointing fingers in blame instead of at solutions. The time for blame games have gone.

Only last month, President Buhari complained that the Sahara desert was advancing southward. He should also realize that that is not the only thing going south. The Nigerian economy is going south at perhaps a faster rate and blaming others for it will never stem the tide.

The President should focus on marketing his plans and policies when he travels abroad instead of de marketing the plans and policies of former President Jonathan's istration

It has been said that if you want a conversation with a habitual complainer to end abruptly, just ask him how he intends to fix the problem. That is the question Nigerians want answered by President Buhari.

Under former President Jonathan, Nigeria's economy exploded and became the largest economy in Africa and the 24th largest economy in the world. Let it not be said that under President Buhari that economy collapsed like a pack of clouds because the hand that should have steered the ship was too busy pointing an accusing finger.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/and-truth-shall-make-president-buhari.html?m=1

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has reacted angrily to the reported donation of 4.2 billion naira to an American University by Niger Delta oil made billionaire, Mohammed Indinmi, labelling it “an irresponsible and a global wastage of Niger Delta resources”.



In a statement signed by Eric Omare, the spokesman of IYC worldwide said “it is sad and provocative that Mr. Mohammed Indinmi who operates in different parts of the Niger Delta region and has failed woefully in his corporate social responsibility to the host communities could donate such a whopping amount of money to a private institution in far away America whereas the communities and people hosting his company, Oriental Energy wallow in poverty.


Mr. Indimi has no single record of contribution to community development in Nigeria, not even in the terrorist ravaged north east.


“We state that the money Mr. Indimi wasted in far way America is Niger Delta money and the people of the region must work towards recovery all their resources in the form of oil blocks awarded to people like Indimi.


IYC called on youths of the Niger Delta region to close ranks and work towards addressing the aged – long injustice of past Nigerian Presidents awarding oil blocks to their friends and relatives while the people of the Niger Delta region wallow in poverty.


Omare hinted that “The forthcoming IYC conference of Niger Delta youths on Thursday, the 26th of May, 2016 in Warri, Delta State provides the opportunity to start the journey. Niger Deltans must reclaim their resources.”
reportage.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/ijaw-youth-council-blast-nigerian.html?m=1

Leadership of the Nigeria Labor Congress and the Federal Government will continue with their negotiations on the increased petrol pump price. The negotiations will hold at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation at about 3pm today May 25th.


NLC went on an unpopular strike action last week which they called off on Sunday May 22nd.

NLC leaders are asking for the immediate reversal of the pump price from N145 to N86.50 and for the Federal government to stop the deregulation of the oil sector. They are also calling for the increase in minimum wage.


http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/petrol-pump-price-nlc-fg-to-resume.html?m=1

No fewer than 6 people are feared dead after Boko Haram attacked Ladi Butai community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State at about 9pm yesterday May 24th.


The group reportedly overpowered of the Civilian t Taskforce and gained access into the community. Many of the villagers have fled to Maiduguri for safety.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/6-feared-dead-as-boko-haram-.html?m=1

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday said the plan of his istration to transform Oshodi into a world class transport interchange in the next 13 to 16 months would go a long way to depict the regeneration plan of the State, just as he said that the project would also totally remove all notorious activities associated with the area.


Governor Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja during a meeting with key stakeholders on the planned transport interchange, said by the time the project is delivered, the fear of insecurity must have been totally removed from the area, while Lagosians would be treated to the best of facilities compared to any other where in the world.

The meeting, which was a follow up to an earlier forum organized by the State Government through the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development to sensitize stakeholders on the project, was attended by leaders of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), market associations and community leaders.

While pleading with the stakeholders to the project which is billed to take off on June 1, 2016, Governor Ambode said the interest of market men and women and transporters have been taken care of, as they would make more money compared to what they are currently making. In a statement released by the Chief press secretary, Habib Aruna.

He said:
“I am so happy that we are working together on this project. What we are doing today is what we have been planning for long and our plan is to transform some notorious areas in the State to places like Victoria Island. Oshodi is known for all kinds of notorious activities and we want to totally do away with that belief and the best way to go about it is to give the people world class facility and make them to live better lives. XX
“We want the people in Oshodi to be identified with good and not bad things all the time and that was what made us to decide that the kind of development going on in Victoria Island, Lekki and other places should take place in Oshodi as well. I mean, I find it very disturbing that our children in Oshodi would have to travel to Lekki or Ikeja to have access to good shopping mall. So, what we have decided is to regenerate Oshodi.
“Now, if we say there are 13 Bus parks all scattered in Oshodi. Can we put these Bus parks in the same place? You know it is not possible for me to bring the drivers or the buses to Oshodi. It would still be the people who are currently operating there. But the plan is that those who are operating there now, we can make life more comfortable for them and they would still be the ones operating the buses.
“The issue is that when we transform the terminals, what kind of buses should fit into the new look and that is why we are engaging all the stakeholders, especially the transport people. We can take away all these yellow buses and put these other buses but you will be the operators, and all we are only doing is to provide you with world class terminals that you would even be asking is this happening in my lifetime. So, instead of scattering ourselves all over, let all of us be in one very well organized and secured place,” Governor Ambode said.
Among other plans, according to the Governor, is the provision of about 800 modern buses which would run 24/7 and would convey Lagosians to all parts of the State in a more comfortable arrangement.
Speaking on the market, Governor Ambode said the new transport interchange would accommodate world class containerized shopping mall with recreation and entertainment facilities, while the existing market men and women in Oshodi would be the same people to be allocated with the shops.
“I plead for your tolerance because eventually this whole thing is coming back to you but we must have achieved so much. You see, Oshodi is the entrance point from the international Airport and it create the image of where we want to go and once we are able to create that image, nobody will ever Oshodi in their head for anything bad. The only thing that would be left is for us to ensure that the road from Oshodi to international Airport meets international standard and by that, we would have regenerated that part of Lagos for good,” Governor Ambode said.
Responding, Lagos State NURTW Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Agbede commended the Governor for the initiative, and expressed the readiness of his to the government to make the project a reality.

Also, a market leader in the area, Mr. Lateef Tajudeen thanked Governor Ambode for the concretized Brown Street in Oshodi, but pleaded that their should be carried along in the allocation of the shops in the shopping mall.xx On his part, Managing Director of Planet Projects Limited, the contractor partnering with government to deliver the interchange, Mr. Biodun Otunola assured that the firm will meet up with the scheduled time.

He said the project would gulp about $70 million, adding that several financial institutions have expressed interest to be part of the project.

http://newsfilz..com.ng/2016/05/ambode-oshodi-transformation-will.html?m=1