NIGERIAN NOTCH

The United States has announced an additional 40-million-dollar (N14 billion) aid to Nigeria to address the humanitarian crisis arising from decades of the Boko Haram insurgency. The Secretary of State, Mr Mike Pompeo, who made the announcement in Washington DC on Tuesday, said this was in addition to nearly 350 million dollars (N122.5 billion) in assistance provided by the U.S. last year. Pompeo spoke during a joint media briefing with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, after the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC) meeting hosted by the Department of State. “The foreign minister (Onyeama) and I also discussed today the massive humanitarian crisis that the conflict with Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa and other religious and ethnic violence. “We know that these issues are hard.  We know that they’re complicated. “But I strongly encouraged the Nigerian government to do more to protect its civilians, including religious communities and the human...

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, confirmed this development to State House correspondents at the end of a closed door meeting between the president and the leadership of the NASS. He said the meeting discussed all issues of security including the performances of the security agencies in addressing the menace of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping in the country. He said: “ We met with Mr. President over the security issues in the country and other matters of governance. The recent security challenge this country is facing requires that we work very closely. “We had the debates in the two chambers of the National Assembly last week and resolutions were taken and we have come to discuss with Mr President on the way forward, what we feel about some of these security challenges and also to ask him what he thinks we should do. “We discussed everything that matters as far as the issue of security of this country is concern.’’ Lawan further revealed that the meeting discussed ...

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said on Wednesday that its Air Task Force (ATF), Operation Lafiya Dole, has launched Operation Rattle Snake 3 against terrorists’ elements in the Northeast of the Country. The Air Interdiction Operation, which commenced Tuesday, 4 February 2020, will target selected locations within the Northeast in order to further degrade the remnants of the terrorists as well as deny them freedom of action.  Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of NAF Public Relations and Information said, “On Day One of the Operation, air strikes by NAF attack aircraft resulted in the destruction of an Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) hideout as well as the neutralization of some of their fighters at Tongule in the Lake Chad area of Northern Borno State.  “The air strikes were executed following series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, indicating that ISWAP fighters were harboured in some buildings at the southern edge of ...

The Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, in a statement made avaliable to newsmen in Owerri by his Chief Press Secretary has ordered contractors handling most of the roads in the state, to return back to site in the next 72 hours. Hope Uzodinma made it clear that the road contractors who have “absconded” from the site at the peak of the dry season, cannot be accepted by his government.  It stated: “Contractors handling road projects in Imo State have been ordered back to site within 72 hours or have their contracts terminated. “Governor Uzodinma frowned at a situation where contractors who had collected mobilization fees from Government abandoned projects. “This action is unjustifiable and totally unacceptable to the State Government. He said it was “Regrettably, that the affected contractors have absconded from site in the peak of the dry season even after collecting mobilization fees from Government. Governor Uzodinma has at every opportunity emphasized that his ‘3R’ m...

The United States said on Tuesday the soon to be repatriated $308million recovered from the family of the late maximum ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, must be placed in a secured account by the Nigerian government. Washington said the Federal Government would be required to replace the fund if it is stolen from the account. The Spokesperson for the US State Department, Morgan Ortagus, said in a statement that this was one of the agreements reached between the US, Nigeria and the Island of Jersey where the funds are being kept.   The US said the arrangement was consistent with the commitments both the US and Nigeria made under the principles agreed at the 2017 Global Forum on Asset Recovery co-hosted by the US and the United Kingdom. The statement read: “The funds will be used by the Nigerian Independent Sovereign Authority for three infrastructure projects in strategic economic zones across Nigeria. “To ensure that the funds are used responsibly and for the good of the nation, ...

...... As Customers in Nnewi Insist they won't subscriber to MAP. The EEDC customer forum, which was supposed to be an interactive section with the management of EEDC and there customers in Nnewi district was yesterday stalemated as customers in Nnewi rejected the offer of subscribing to the proposed regime of changing new meters for there old ones, which the customers said were still active, but where deactivated, as a measure to rip them off, and for EEDC to sell new ones to them. In the question and response answer section, where most notable Nnewi indigenes spoke, bashed the team that came, whom they described as being on a mission to insult their sensibilities. They wondered how, they asked them to come for a town hall meeting, without adequate preparation to address Ndi Nnewi, in an important issue as electricity. In his submission, Ambassador Odi Nwosu, lamented the lackadaisical attitude of the staff and management of EEDC towards the issue of metering, which a pe...

The Federal Government has approved the payment of N33,000 as monthly allowance for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, disclosed this during a session with some corps members at the service’s Bauchi State Secretariat. Brigadier General Ibrahim, who was on a working visit to the state, cleared the air on the amount approved as monthly allowance for corps members. He explained that the approval was made in line with the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage by the Federal Government. Ibrahim noted that contrary to the various amounts being circulated on social media, the sum of N33,000 had been approved as the new rate. He stressed that provision had been made for the new allowance in the year 2020 Budget, adding that payment would commence as soon as funds were released by the appropriate authorities. The NYSC boss advised the corps members to be security conscious at all times, ...

Hon. Obinna Okechukwu, the Chairman of New Motorcycle Spare Parts Association Nnewi (NASPA) and the Vice Chairman ASMATA, has commended Governor Willie Obiano for his efforts at stabilizing the markets in the state. He made this assertion recently in his office while interacting with newsmen. He said the Governor has done very well in making sure that all they require in the markets in the state is provided for. He also commended the Governor on his  enthronement into the prestigious order of the Knighthood of Commander of Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great (KCSG) by Pope Francis, the Catholic Pontiff in Rome. In his goodwill message, Hon. Obinna Okechukwu stated that Governor Willie Obiano has shown goodwill and sagacity in piloting the affairs of the state, no wonder he is getting recognized world over. He thanked the Governor for putting in place adequate measures, which saw to a peaceful and eventful Christmas and New Year Celebrations in the state. Hon. Obi...

Prophet Chika Emedo is a man of God with special anointing. He was the first to inform H.E Senator Hope Uzodinma six years ago in his Abuja residence, that he will be the next governor after Rochas Okorocha. He went further then, to tell him,  according to God's revelation, that he will get the mandate of IMO people in a different party, aside from the party he was in, that is the PDP, and that his group then with H.E Ali Modu Sheriff will loose to Dr Ahmed Makarifi, a message that did not go down well with H.E Hope Uzodinma then. Today, H.E Senator Hope Uzodinma is the 6th Governor of IMO state. In this exclusive interview, he went down memory lane to highlight on the reasons why H.E Senator Hope Uzodinma should be supported by IMO people because of his divine call to govern Imo Excerpts: Q: Please for the reading public, lets know you Sir. Ans: I am Prophet Chika Emedo, the Senior Pastor Jesus Must Come Fire Ministry Lagos, Nigeria. Q: Today H.E Senator Hope Uzod...

It's no longer news that Abuja High Court in Kubwa, presided over by Justice Bello Kawu dated 11th day of April 2019 marked as suit No: CV/3044/18, purportedly annulled the Senatorial ticket of Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah of Anambra South based on the grounds that he presented a forged NECO certificate to INEC prior to the 2019 general elections. The unfortunate judgment came as a surprise to many Nigerians including the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria(HURIWA). Recall that HURIWA recently wrote to NECO as part of their investigation to authenticate the result of Senator Ubah which one Mr. Obinna Uzoh claimed as forged. In a letter with the particulars as follows: NECO/R/LGS/20/003, dated 23rd January 2020 and addressed to HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA), led by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the examination body released Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah's result details and cleared the air about Statement of Results and NECO Cer...

It was indeed a tragic Sunday as an operative of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, was said to have shot the 2019 senatorial candidate of the Action Alliance in Imo North Senatorial District, Ndubuisi Emenike at close range, going by an eye witness report. The incident which took place at about 5 pm on Sunday, was during a victory party for Princess Onuoha, the APC candidate  in the Okigwe North Federal Constituency election held on Saturday. The Independent National Electoral Commission had announced her as winner of the election. The tragedy happened at the newly elected APC's candidate house in Umunachi of the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of the state. It was however gathered that the NSCDC officer who shot the the AA Senatorial Canfidate was an ordeal from another person and not the aide attached to the AA senatorial candidate who had escorted him to the victory party. The officer was said to have been shooting consistently into the air and in the process...