NIGERIAN NOTCH

The release of one Timothy Alua, a 24 year-old artisan from the Aguata Correctional Facility, on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, elicited wild jubilation as the young inmate went uncontrollably wide, when the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, struct out his case, and discharged him. Alua, from Owerri in Imo State, was released after awaiting trial for 5 years and 8 months, but the state Chief Judge, who was in the Correctional Facility to perform the 2022 jail delivery exercise. When he was discharged, Alua ran out from the court, removed his shirt, and flung it in the air; a development that elicited jubilation and celebration among other inmates. The drama lasted for about ten minutes, before it was brought under control. The young man, held since 2017,  for allegedly stealing a handset, was discharged by the CJ for lack of diligent prosecution. The CJ directed the Controller of Corrections to release him to his people, and subsequently charged the young artisan

The Equatorial Guinea authorities have handed over the vessel MT Heroic Idun and it’s 26 foreign crew members which was involved in oil theft to Nigerian Navy for further investigations. The Nigerian Navy factsheet released by the Director Information Naval Headquarters Commodore Adedotun Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan on Thursday said the ship had paid sizable fine to Equatorial Guinea authorities for sailing without hoisting it’s official flag. The vessel which evaded arrest on 8 August 2022 and raised false alarm of piracy attack in Nigeria waters will be brought back to Nigeria to clear any misconceptions about its involvement in oil theft. According to the document, the vessel entered Nigerian waters, specifically the Akpo Oilfield, deep offshore Bonny, a joint venture operated by Total Energies EP, to load crude oil at about midnight on 7th August 2022. However, the vessel was accosted by a Nigerian Navy (NN) ship on patrol on 8th August 2022 (shortly after midnight) for not having due NN

There are strong indications that former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) (rtd) may wade into the crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP). It was gathered that the former Nigerian leader will be holding a closed-door meeting with the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and aggrieved five governors of the party otherwise known as G-5 in Minna, the Niger State capital on Friday. The meeting is coming barely three days after IBB also received the presidential candidate of the rival All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his team at his hilltop residence in Minna. Sources hinted that the recent move at reconciliation leveraging on the outreach of IBB may have been powered by a former senior military intelligence officer and some interest groups from the North supporting the Atiku Presidency. Meanwhile, in a related development, the PDP presidential candidate has reacted to the statement credited to

....RECEIVES RELIEF MATERIALS DONATED BY SIR EMEKA OFFOR FOUNDATION FOR ANAMBRA FLOOD VICTIMS. By Christian ABURIME Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has called on the federal government to engage more proactive measures against the perennial flooding in the Country. Governor Soludo made the call while recieving relief materials donated in favour of flood displaced persons in the state by Sir Emeka Offor Foundation. The materials were recieved at the State Emergency Management Agency Office in Awka. In addition to the donation of N2.5 Million which has already been distributed to the displaced persons, the foundation also donated 600 Bags of 50Kg rice, 60 Bags of 50Kg Beans, 60 Bags of 50Kg Garri, 500 pieces of 3feet, 6inches mattresses, 500 cartons of Ndomie Noodles, 600 Tubers of Yam, 50 cartons of Tomatoes, 30 cartons of Bathing Soap, 30 cartons of washing soap, 30 Jerrycans of palmoil, 30 cartons of Milo Beverage, 30 cartons of milk, 50 Jerrycans of Veget

  Governor of Anambra state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has said alleged investment of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in Anambra state government is worth next to nothing presently.   Soludo made this assertion in an interview with Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday. When asked his perspective on government investing outside the public sector with reference to Obi as former governor in Anambra, Soludo simply said, “I don’t know about the investment.” “Our interview is about the 2023 budget. I’m not talking about investments of any of my predecessors. By the way the one that you talked about I don’t know about that. I think there was something I read  about, on somebody speculating about whatever investment. With what I’ve seen today, the value of those investments is worth next to nothing. So, let’s leave that aside,” he added. Meanwhile, Soludo said more than 5,000 in the state will get their employment letter in few days.  He said, “We are handing out

Please find below the full text of address and Budget presentation by Governor Soludo to the Anambra State House of Assembly, Thursday, November 10, 2022 AN ADDRESS TO THE ANAMBRA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE DRAFT 2023 STATE BUDGET By Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR Governor of Anambra State  PROTOCOL Umu nne m Ndi Anambra! On May 19, 2022, I was here to present the draft revised 2022 budget entitled “Taking Off from the Blocks”, which this honourable House of Assembly scrutinized and ¹graciously passed into law. Barely seven months since Ndi Anambra employed me as the chief servant, I am honoured to be here again to present another budget--- the draft 2023 budget estimates.   Let us pause at this moment to remember our fallen colleagues and great sons of Anambra. Over the past six months, this House has lost two of its members and illustrious sons of Anambra state namely: Hon Okechukwu Okoye (and his assistant, Mr. Cyril Chiegboka) and Hon

Eight Nigerian-Americans in Georgia State in the United States (US) have won seats in the country’s midterm elections. The winners are Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, and Phil Olaleye who won their legislative seats as state representatives in their districts. Similarly, Carol Kazeem won the Pennsylvania State Representative in District 159, Esther Agbaje was re-elected as Minnesota State Representative in District 59B, while Dr. Oye Owolewa was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (Shadow Representative) in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the winners in the polls. The president wished successful tenure in office  In a statement issued by his media aide, Femi Adesina, the president thanked them for their invaluable support and partnerships, over the years, with groups affiliated with the ideals and objectives of Nigerians in Diaspora associations in the United States. Also, the chairman of the Nigerians in th

The YPP flag-bearer for Aguata II state constituency Comrade Afamefuna Ezeife Ezeonyenwe has called on government to empower the youths towards being self reliant through science and technology as the United Nations celebrate international Week of Science and Peace. He made the call in an address released by his media office yesterday.  He said, " for peace to reign government should key into empowering the youths through science and technology, because that is the surest way to ensure peace in the country"  "Over the years, my interactions with our youths has shown that none of them wants to engage in crime, or it's related activities, but the problem over the years has been that our youths have not embraced science and technology in solving most of our common problems" He called on the government of Anambra state to look inwards and ensure that priority is giving to the learning of science and technology in Anambra schools.  The International Week of Science a

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has admitted that he is very much connected to the G5 governors of the PDP. He made this statement when the governor's paid him a scheduled visit in Bauchi.  “As for the G5 Governors, I always joke with them that I’m a G1, but I’m inexorably connected with them. We have always been together and you know, Governors Wike, Ortom, Okezie, and Ifeanyi – they have been here several times and I have been going to them. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has however admitted that he wrote a letter to the PDP when he found out that members working against him as a leader and first term governor looking for a second term in office. Mohammed explained that he wrote the letter with all honesty, sincerity and deep sense of fidelity which, according to him, made the party invite him to discuss with the party’s presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, to clear some grey areas. Bala Mohammed explained that he did not personally write the said letter to the part

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said the ‘integrity governors’ of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), popularly known as the G-5, are still open for reconciliation. He said the stance was because of the conviction that every critical stakeholder in the party needed to be on board to ensure electoral victory for the party in 2023. Wike spoke yesterday in Bauchi when he led the five PDP governors on a solidarity visit to the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed. Wike said the doors of reconciliation in the ongoing leadership crisis within the rank and file of the PDP were still open to negotiations. “I have said it several times that we are ready for reconciliation; we have never closed the door for reconciliation. All we are asking for is equity, fairness and justice, and that is the hallmark PDP stands for.” Wike, who was fielding reporters’ questions in Bauchi yesterday shortly after a closed-door meeting between the G5 governors and Governor Bala Mohammed, reiterated, “Al

Indications have emerged that former president Goodluck Jonathan may be called upon to intervene in the face-off between the five opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. It was learnt yesterday that some party leaders were mulling a high-powered meeting with Jonathan following the intractable crisis. It was gathered that the plan to meet with Jonathan followed the recent outburst by the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, who accused Atiku of unfair treatment. The move to seek Jonathan’s intervention on the matter, it was learnt, was against the backdrop that the key aggrieved governors were his political scions who worked under him as federal ministers. While the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, worked as minister of Education under Jonathan’s presidency, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom were minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and minister of state Trade and Inves