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[] | 2016-08-29T18:48:47 | null | 2016-08-29T19:24:08 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fjudiciary-wrongly-blamed-poor-justice-dispensation%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | ‘Judiciary wrongly blamed for poor justice dispensation’ | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/judiciary-wrongly-blamed-poor-justice-dispensation/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/d2550b35e496d9bb57ca79f89a337b31b090c3c0c9dba90e27c103de5a438236.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:48:55 | null | 2016-08-30T13:00:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fambode-inaugurates-committee-ikoyi-vi-clean%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Akinwunmi-Ambode.jpg | en | null | Ambode inaugurates committee on Ikoyi, VI clean up | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/ambode-inaugurates-committee-ikoyi-vi-clean/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/aacd7ad12fc3ff16bfe85d45b6567649b6ca1ec57546e1326709f72f6c7ee87a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:01 | null | 2016-08-30T14:24:02 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fpolice-kill-motorist-lagos%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Nigerian-Police-e1468272740175.jpg | en | null | Police kill motorist in Lagos | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/police-kill-motorist-lagos/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/24630c9fb7294467783d998ee91ad410a90f5a477f150df7a8f68b19825e978e.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T00:49:05 | null | 2016-08-31T00:05:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fboko-haram-ready-peace%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Hajiya-Aisha-Wakil.jpg | en | null | ‘Boko Haram ready for peace’ | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Hajiya Aisha Wakil, who is believed to be close to the Boko Haram leadership, says the group is ready for talks with the Federal Government on the fate of the 219 missing Chibok girls.
She said yesterday that she had been on the neck of the Boko Haram leaders, who according to her offered to honour her to dialogue with the government and release the girls and other captives.
The group’s leadership might soon make a pronouncement on their plan for the girls, she said.
Hajiya Aisha, who spoke with our correspondent on the phone, said she expected the Boko Haram leaders to come out and discuss with the government.
She said: “Since I came back, I have been on their neck. They have now agreed to come out and discuss with the government and bring back the girls.
“I am for the Chibok girls and all the captives. They are ready for peace. This is what they told me.”
Although Hajiya Aisha was not forthcoming on the imminent release of the girls, whose abduction has sparked a global outrage, she said: “I think they might post some information on YouTube within 24 hours.”
The Army on August 14 declared Hajiya Aisha and two others wanted for interrogation in line with the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended).
The others are a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, and Amb. Ahmed Umar Bolori.
But Aisha has maintained her innocence, claiming that she is not a shady personality.
In a reaction to the Army’s statement, she had said: “I am Aisha Alkali Wakil. I understand that the military declared me, Ahmed Silkida and Ahmed Bolori wanted for having links with Boko Haram. It’s interesting; now they believe me?
“I know the Boko Haram boys. I have been in front fighting for peace long before Chibok girls were kidnapped. Nigerian security knows me too well. I’m not shady. Why declaring me wanted?
“I have had meetings with Chief of Army Staff and his people. I told them the way forward, to allow me come with some commanders of Boko Haram and discuss with them, present the release of CBGs but they chose to do things their own ways only and never gave considerations to any of my suggestions.
“I want to inform the Nigerian people of my innocence and make them realise that I am in constant relation with the security personnel and they know where to find me but wonder why I had to be declared wanted on national news, even mentioning my husband’s name alongside.
“This has put my immediate and extended family under a lot of pressure and I do not deserve this from the Nigerian government.
“Though they may not appreciate all my efforts to proffer peaceful solutions to the menace of Boko Haram, my name should not be mudslinged nor my character defamed. Thank you.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, in an interview with reporters on the sideline of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in Nairobi, Kenya last weekend, said the government was ready to dialogue with bonafide leaders of the group who know the whereabouts of the girls.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted Buhari as saying: ‘‘I have made a couple of comments on the Chibok girls and it seems to me that much of it has been politicized.
‘‘What we said is that the government which I preside over is prepared to talk to bonafide leaders of Boko Haram.
‘‘If they do not want to talk to us directly, let them pick an internationally recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), convince them that they are holding the girls and that they want Nigeria to release a number of Boko Haram leaders in detention, which they are supposed to know.
‘‘If they do it through the ‘modified leadership’ of Boko Haram and they talk with an internationally recognized NGO, then Nigeria will be prepared to discuss for their release.” | http://thenationonlineng.net/boko-haram-ready-peace/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/386a03222d5536e5eac4347f800ee104107705cbeee238110eb700c9fa068da3.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:46:21 | null | 2016-08-30T00:02:57 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fland-grabbers-murder-plumber%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/land-grabbers-1.jpg | en | null | Land grabbers kill plumber | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Suspected land grabbers on Saturday murdered a plumber, Wale Taiwo at Magboro, an Ogun State community, off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, it was learnt yesterday.
The hoodlums were said to have stormed an uncompleted building near the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) prayer ground where the deceased was working and killed him.
It was gathered that the bungalow building belonged to a Vice Principal at Kings College, who allegedly had a disagreement with the land grabbers.
Although the woman was said to have built the house in 2013, the land grabbers were said to have stormed the property furious that work was ongoing while the owner was yet to ‘settle’ them.
They allegedly hit the plumber with an iron on his head, killing him on the spot.
According to the deceased’s brother, Muyiwa Taiwo, the hoodlums abandoned their victim in a pool of his blood and fled.
He said the two labourers his brother contracted to work with him fled the scene.
Taiwo said: “We believe the incident happened on Saturday because that was the last time he communicated with his wife. They spoke around 8am on Saturday when he wanted to confirm if there was environmental sanitation. It was the sanitation exercise that delayed him, otherwise, he would have left for Lagos that morning.
“We heard that the Omoniles came to the site and they called the owner of the building. It seems the owner did not give them a good reply and they took it out on my brother who was just doing his job.
“They hit him on the head, he fainted and died there. Even the labourers, two Abokis, who were working with him fled. We have gone there to remove his car and the car has been moved to the police station. The woman who owns the building did not come but her husband was with us.”
A source said it was the victim’s family that discovered the body after his wife went to the owner’s college to get the address of the property.
Said the success: “The deceased and the owner know themselves very well. The deceased used to be a teacher too before he got another job and left. So, it was the woman who contacted him for the plumbing job and while he was at it, the Omoniles killed him.
“His wife came to the college and demanded for the address of the building. She was worried that she has not heard from her husband who was supposed to come back on Saturday. I do not really know if she went there herself or someone else did but that was how he was discovered dead and the police invited.”
When contacted, the spokesman for the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in-charge of Zone II, Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the murder.
He said: “I can confirm that a plumber was murdered there but I cannot day at the moment if it has to do with land grabbers. But be rest assured that the murderers won’t go unpunished.
“The AIG, Abdulmajid Ali has vowed to deal with criminals in the zone and this is a capital offence. Investigation is on and the culprits will be fished out and death with.” | http://thenationonlineng.net/land-grabbers-murder-plumber/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/71bc74c780785fea163fa884948576a0f80c0c52ebea20cb54c53b91753b97b3.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:47:35 | null | 2016-08-26T19:51:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnigeria-young-people-advocate-global-development%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Camara-Alhendawi-and-Isiramen.jpg | en | null | Nigeria young people advocate for global development | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-young-people-advocate-global-development/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/9091308ecd9b233efec5f085580f02841befada19a94209967ad5f7e1af7a717.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:56:24 | null | 2016-08-26T13:22:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fhousewife-arraigned-death-four-day-old-baby%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Housewife arraigned over death of four-day-old baby | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/housewife-arraigned-death-four-day-old-baby/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/0770ed50c0af99f2d6a325a0b8f8347597a9e94d8896fe2a97c8e9e9b769618c.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T18:48:33 | null | 2016-08-28T18:20:28 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frainfall-lagos-allays-fears-of-residents-appeals-for-calm%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Rainfall: Lagos allays fears of residents, appeals for calm | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Ease of doing business: Nigeria will be top 100 countries by 2019, says Buhari
2:57 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/rainfall-lagos-allays-fears-of-residents-appeals-for-calm/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/92ec7cfaa12f15cf521deb1d34032ee78eb74287cc9defb3d3f389e81785f65e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:48:52 | null | 2016-08-29T17:12:05 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Faguero-argentinas-russia-2018-qualifiers%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/aGUERO.gif | en | null | Aguero out of Argentina’s Russia 2018 qualifiers | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/aguero-argentinas-russia-2018-qualifiers/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/1b5d7d129157bfc40629acf0b33e7cc46707ac6a923a440d3872586d29a6c096.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:48:28 | null | 2016-08-27T21:08:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fmilitary-no-plan-invade-delta-communities-brutai%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Military has no plan to invade Delta communities- Brutai | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/military-no-plan-invade-delta-communities-brutai/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/f85fb9ed338e7147f8705d78afe8774e829836debfdeea0e092890a93e6df71b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:46:26 | null | 2016-08-23T00:04:04 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frio-2016-musings-xxxl-olympiad%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Rio-2016-Olympic-logo.jpg | en | null | Rio 2016: Musings on the XXXl Olympiad | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | However you judge it, Brazil and Rio de Janeiro will have to be accounted the biggest winners of the XXXl Olympiad just ended.
Not in the quantum of medals and athletic accomplishment in which the United States, to no surprise, came out far ahead of every other national contingent, its traditional rival Russia having put up only a skeletal representation, its team decimated by a comprehensive ban on account of programmed doping on a scale almost behind belief.
Brazil and Rio defied all the odds, real and contrived, to win big-time.
The Western media said the host nation was not ready. Construction lagged far behind schedule and was unlikely to be finished in time for the Games. Brazil’s economy took a pounding from the crash of the international oil market and the income stream on which Brazil was relying to stage the extravaganza had almost dried up.
The country was wracked by turmoil as the President, Dilma Rousseff, successor of Luiz Inació Lula da Silva, the former shoe shiner and trade unionist-turned politician and architect of Brazil’s economic revival and political rejuvenation, faced impeachment on corruption charges that seemed more apparent than real. In the end she was suspended from office and had to watch Olympics from the sidelines as an unacknowledged observer when she should have by tradition declared the games open from a global spotlight.
And then, there was zika, the mosquito-borne virus which spread fear and panic among pregnant women or women who might become pregnant on a scale that has not been seen since the 1960s when the widespread use of the morning-sickness pill thalidomide resulted in the births of hideously deformed babies across Europe.
Who would risk going to Brazil for the Games, when that risk involved the distinct possibility of having a baby with a small head and the pathologies associated with that condition: very poor health, and early death?
Television pictures of babies afflicted with that condition and their mothers struggling to cope with the trauma and stigma could not have done much to reassure those who thought the chance was worth taking.
Rio, the host city, fared no better in the reporting. Its mean streets festered with crime and were dangerously unsafe, and you did not even have to venture near the favelas to get mugged. Raw sewage emptied non-stop into the very waters in which some of the Olympic contests would be staged.
When the water in the swimming pools turned green after a day of two of competition, the fear peddlers wasted no time in saying: “We told you so.” When the pools turned aquatic blue soon thereafter, they barely took notice.
For the two weeks during which global attention was concentrated on Brazil as never before, no major crime was reported in the Games Village or its precincts. The American gold medal-winning swimmer Ryan Lochte who confected a stick-up by gun-wielding police with two of his colleagues was unmasked and shamed, thanks to diligent sleuthing and closed-circuit television (CCTV).
No major scandal was reported. There was no outbreak of disease. The lights never went out. The taps never ran dry. The public address system rarely faltered. Political officials took the back seat and allowed the accredited organisers to run the show.
In that vast assemblage of people of different races and tongues and creeds and faiths, nothing happened that could remotely be construed as a terrorist incident. A single such incident would have played right into the hands of the demagogic and xenophobic Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in the U.S. presidential election. He would have seized it to bolster his campaign theme that America succeeds best when it keeps out those who look or talk or worship differently.
Maybe he was just being sarcastic. You can never bet on The Donald. As one American satirical writer remarked the other day, if Trump ever had his finger on the nuclear trigger, he could just squeeze it and explain later that he did so for sarcastic effect.
Based on superb execution against all odds, I would still have adjudged Brazil the biggest winner of the XXXl Olympiad. But then, the nation’s soccer squad, led by Neymar, he of the mesmerising nimbleness of foot and shots that call to mind the trajectory of a guided missile, won the only gold medal that matters to the host nation, the prize that it had never won in all its soccer glory.
That feat was more than victory on the soccer pitch: it was national redemption.
In the World Cup semi-final two years ago, at the same fabled Maracanã Stadium, the German national team had done the unthinkable: it had handed Brazil’s Selección a 7-1 shellacking. That drubbing stuck in Brazil’s collective craw. Rio 2016 offered a chance for a redemption of sorts.
The final was not between the teams that had squared up in 2014. The teams were not even drawn principally from the 2014 sets. It was a closely-fought duel, the outcome of which turned on penalty kicks and could have gone either way.
Still, who is to begrudge Brazil its euphoric feeling of national redemption?
I hope I will not be charged with harbouring low expectations when I say that, in this corner, the Nigerian soccer team was also in a significant sense a winner, even though it clinched only the bronze medal.
The team was stranded in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, and made it to Rio for its first match just seven hours before kick-off, with nary a chance to decompress. Yet the players showed no hint of fatigue or despair when they took on Japan. The fatigue did not show until well into the second half when Japan turned what seemed like an impending rout into a redeeming 4-5 loss.
But take nothing away from our boys.
Now, you would think that a team that had come this far would have all its anxieties assuaged. But that is not the Nigerian way. The boys had to threaten to boycott their quarter-final match, against Denmark, unless their earned bonuses were paid
Commentator after commentator was smitten with awe by artistry and athleticism of the Nigerian players. The team’s potential would be so much greater, almost limitless, they said, if it was backed by more purposeful organisation.
That is the story of Nigeria in a nutshell. So much potential; so little delivery.
There was a time when, to our delight, the N in Nigeria used to be tagged on to the acronym BRIC, in which B stood for Brazil, R for Russia, I for India and C for China, emergent global actors.
Not anymore.
The challenge is to get it back in there in real terms, not with the jiggery-pokery of the Goodluck Jonathan and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala years. | http://thenationonlineng.net/rio-2016-musings-xxxl-olympiad/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/e806da16ae927cc232ed3436fcc943667287b632e756622f029c24cb5b5ad430.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:49:04 | null | 2016-08-30T18:54:43 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fasuu-threatens-embark-strike%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ASUU.jpg | en | null | ASUU threatens to embark on strike | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/asuu-threatens-embark-strike/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/69d79230b5057df3661b93b7cfa47dbcf7498208a441f92a23b8bea7473877f0.json |
[
"Loko Efe"
] | 2016-08-31T14:46:35 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fplan-kidnap-otedola-robbery-suspects%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Otedola-Kidnappers.jpg | en | null | Our plan to kidnap Otedola -Robbery suspects | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | An armed robbery suspect, Ikechukwu Daniel, also known as Ike, has disclosed that his gang hatched a plan to kidnap the businessman Femi Otedola but it was foiled by the police.
He also confessed that his gang, which was linked to the kidnap of Senator Iyabo Anisholowo, operated with military uniforms and hijacked three trailers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Ike was arrested sometime in June at FESTAAC Town in Lagos while negotiating the ransom of a victim kidnapped in Ibadan. His disclosure emerged following Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris’s directive to his Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to arrest anyone linked to the kidnap of Senator Iyabo Anisholowo as reported to the IGP.
Within a few days of receiving the instruction, the IRT operatives arrested one Mohammed Babuga, and he owned up to the fact that he and one Mamman masterminded the kidnap. He confessed that he and Mamman robbed some people in Kwara State, along Kaduna road.
They dispossessed innocent motorists of their belongings. During an argument with Mamman, however, Babuga said that he slapped the other for disrespect towards him as gang leader and the carelessness that put the police on their trail.
Mamman, he said, got angry and went away to form his own gang of kidnappers with Boyi, Abubakar, Alayidi and Ike as members. Led by one Mohammed, the gang operated with three rifles: an AK 47, AK 49 and a pump action gun.
Mamman’s gang confessed to have carried out six kidnapping raids: two in Ibadan, two in Ilorin and two in Kebbi State, and various ransoms were collected. The Kebbi State operation fetched the gang six million while it got N26.1 million from the Ilorin and Ibadan cases.
Muhammedu Ganiu, who was also arrested, said his gang members were Saliu Nanayi and Katune. When Ike was arrested, Ganiu added, one Clinton and some men of Fulani stock joined their gang.
Babuga, aged 32, said: “I am from Kebbi State. I am married with two children. I grew up in Ilorin and studied Business Administration at Kwara Polytechnic. In 2011, I used to drive some armed robbers who usually rob on the Kaduna road in Kwara State. I used to take them to the scene, and they paid me N156, 000 in three operations.
“On the third operation, when taking them back to Ilorin, some vigilante men on guard arrested us and took us to the police where we were charged to court and I was remanded in prison. While I was in prison, I met Ike. But when I left prison, I joined a kidnap gang led by Boyi and Bubah Bube, and we kidnapped a Fulani man. We got four million naira and I was given N700, 000.
“We did our second job (kidnapping) at Rejob, a boundary between Kebbi State and Niger. We collected two million and I got N250, 000. After that operation, I left Kebbi and relocated to Oyo State because there were no good roads. Boyi called me and said he wanted to join me, and he had an AK 47 rifle. One Abubakar, a herdsman, also had a pump action gun.
“We contributed money and we bought a Honda Bullet car. Boyi brought a job which was to kidnap a man, but before we went for the job, Ike came and joined us and we did four jobs together before I was arrested. I was arrested because of a senator’s kidnap case.”
Ike, aged 28, confessed that he dropped out of school and took to a life of crime. “I am from Imo State,” he said. “I dropped out from school in ABU Zaria. I was reading laboratory science in school, but I went to LAUTECH to initiate some new students (into robbery), but after the process we were arrested on our way back home. I was taken to prison and I spent one year in prison. My case was later struck out of court. When I returned I could not go back to school.
“I was born and bred in Kaduna State and I speak the Hausa Language fluently. While I was in prison, I made friends with Mohammed, who is Fulani. We were in the same cell. After my one year in prison, I realised that prison wasn’t a place for reformation and I discovered that inmates were arranging jobs from the prison.
“Mohammed came out of prison before me. But when I came out, he told me that I had joined a kidnapping gang. Before I went to prison I was into diversion (of goods). When I came out of prison I went back into diversion, and I did two jobs, but Mohammed asked to come and join his kidnap gang. In 2014, I joined Mohammed’s gang and we kidnapped a man. I don’t know the man’s name and we kept him in a forest in Ilorin, and we were paid five million naira.
“On the second job, we kidnapped an Alhaji who was one of the people who later died at the stampede in Mecca. I did the negotiation in that kidnapping case and we got N15 million from the man’s family. I got N2 million as my share. I bought a car with my share.
“The third operation was in Kwara State. We kidnapped a man who identified himself as Akintola. We received three million naira as ransom from the family. On the fourth operation, we kidnapped a victim who did not pay us something reasonable. I stay in FESTAAC Town. I paid the rent myself and I stay alone.” | http://thenationonlineng.net/plan-kidnap-otedola-robbery-suspects/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/52af0c2d629823e54954f995e03541ced33e4913c7d9980860a3ec4349e45d36.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:48:58 | null | 2016-08-30T17:20:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Flagos-assembly-approves-dismissal-lastma-official%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/LASTMA-e1442265784901.jpg | en | null | Lagos Assembly approves dismissal of LASTMA official | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/lagos-assembly-approves-dismissal-lastma-official/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/4528106a10401995804ade29a947cadc1660c47ed7efd759cfb81bd66dabbef9.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:48:53 | null | 2016-08-30T00:05:22 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fajimobi-accuses-eminent-persons-shielding-criminals%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ajimobi.jpg | en | null | Ajimobi: prominent individuals shielding criminals | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | OYO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has accused highly placed individuals of shielding criminals in the society .
To mitigate rising crime, the governor advised eminent persons, including rulers, captains of industry and politicians in the state to expose criminals in the state.
The governor spoke yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, during the inauguration of the Eminent Persons Forum at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, said most eminent persons usually call security agencies to release their men for personal reasons.
He urged them to stop the act in the interest of the state.
The governor said: “As traditional rulers, politicians, captains of industry, professionals, we know who are criminals. It is the eminent persons that usually call the security agencies to release criminals. Please, let us expose them.
“Also, let us protect the welfare of the police. In some circumstances, they also have to save their lives.
“It is the responsibility of all of us to expose the criminals we know.
“When you talk about the developed countries, it is not the police that go after criminals; it is the technology. Let us put emphasis on modern technology. We can also have traditional ways of exposing criminals so that things can also work.”
He assured the police of the continued support of the government in a bid to tackle crimes in the state.
“I want to assure you that Oyo State government will continue to support the police so that we can have peace in the state, there is no other job for the government than to protect the life and property in the state; we are ready to continue to get the state secured.
Police Commissioner Samuel Adegbuyi told the gathering that the forum was in line with the directive of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, to state police commands to constitute bodies in their respective states.
“It is expected to serve as an intervention forum saddled with responsibilities of control, management and resolution of crises/conflicts and taking measures to prevent crimes through the instrumentality of alternative dispute resolution as a veritable tool for maintenance of peace, unity and law and order in their communities,” he said.
At the meeting were the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun and High Chief Eddy Oyewole, who led the Olubadan-in-Council, Baale of Ekotede Chief Taiwo Ayorinde, leader of Igbo community Dr. Alex Anozie and Chief Olapade Agoro among others.
Others included representatives of religious groups, Igbo General Assembly, Hausa and Fulani communities, traditional rulers, market women, farmers association among others. | http://thenationonlineng.net/ajimobi-accuses-eminent-persons-shielding-criminals/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/64750df044dac8874c8a2f47c48a961f364f4062e0e638f1f37c6b6185d37a77.json |
[
"Sylvester Daniel",
"Hassan Lawal",
"Yahaya Sani"
] | 2016-08-27T22:45:56 | null | 2016-08-25T18:46:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fget-nigeria-economic-challenges-soludo%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Prof.-Charles-Soludo.jpg | en | null | How to get Nigeria out of economic challenges | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/get-nigeria-economic-challenges-soludo/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/1c83ed746729bfae72ad76a8c200a0c2e145da24654471472d7dd1722a50f985.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:47:33 | null | 2016-08-26T20:43:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnon-payment-workers-salaries-unacceptable-nlc%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Non-payment of workers’ salaries unacceptable | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/non-payment-workers-salaries-unacceptable-nlc/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/dae671ff03f34444da09d81c8755db2460e484eb5951e805cdf371b7bfa1f94c.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:47:42 | null | 2016-08-27T01:24:19 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fidps-protest-caused-break-agreement-says-borno-govt%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Shetima.jpg | en | null | IDPs protest caused by break down of agreement, says Borno govt | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Borno state Government has said that Thursday’s protest by Internally Displaced People in Maiduguri was as a result of the breakdown of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) it signed with the National Emergency Management Agency( NEMA) for the supply of food to the IDPs in the state.
According to the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Alhaji Usman Zannah who was addressing the caretaker chairmen at the state secretariat on Friday said: “Thursday’s protests of IDPs over poor feeding, was caused by inadequate supply of food items from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). In the last three months, NEMA has failed to live up to its expectation of providing food items to IDPs in Borno, despite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which stipulated that the state government provides condiments, while NEMA provides food items to IDPs,” he said.
The commissioner also ordered council chairmen to relocate and open offices at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri the state capital, along with their Divisional Police Officers (DPO) to ensure security and adequate food supply for over 1.5 million displaced persons.
This follows Thursday protest by hundreds IDPs from Marte Local Government Area who took to the streets of Maiduguri alleging shortage supply of food and water which did not auger well for the state government.
In his wisdom, he advised the Caretaker Chairmen of Marte, Mafa, Dikwa, Bama, Mobbar, Abadam, Monguno, Gwoza council areas on the need to relocate the displaced persons in Maiduguri camps to liberated communities, while those inaccessible council areas like Abadam, Mobbar, Gwoza and Marte should ensure that they have their offices at camps in Maiduguri so as to address issues of hunger and food shortages. | http://thenationonlineng.net/idps-protest-caused-break-agreement-says-borno-govt/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/53a6982ea54a0bd2c6d063a7570f759e46721e2ebec91d40ec586b329844c526.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:48:46 | null | 2016-08-29T17:13:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbauchi-govt-sacks-ait%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Bauchi Govt. Sacks AIT | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Bauchi state Gov.Mohammed Abubakar has thrown more light on the revocation of Certificate of Occupancy on a land being occupied by African Independence Television (AIT) in Bauchi. He said the revocation is not political, but to take back what belongs to Bauchi people.
He told journalists who accompanied Bauchi chairman, by Nigeria Union of Journalists’ council, Dahiru Mohammed Garba at Government House, Bauchi that his government has no intention to shut down operations of AIT and RayPower Radio stations owned by Daar Communications Plc in Bauchi state.
The Govrnor, who also spoke on other issues, added “the fact of the matter is that I have not closed down AIT, I’m only taking back what belongs to Bauchi state”.
It could be recalled that the immediate past regime of Gov. Isa Yuguda had given the Bauchi Radio Corporation premises built during Nigeria’s second Republic to Daar Communications, along with a Certificate of Occupancy.(Cof O).
The land located on the outskirt of the state capital, houses broadcasting equipment, utility buildings, mast and other facilities were built and handed to then a Bauchi Broadcasting Corporation in December 31, 1983.
The revocation of right of occupancy is sequel to a report of Public Assets Recovery Committee set up by his government to recover public assets illegally carted away by operators of last administration in the state.
He, however, offered that the state government is willing to negotiate with DAAR Communication and agree on parameters under which AIT and Ray power stations will continue to operate the Tv and Radio stations.
His words, “we will cost our property, give it a commercial value, and if Daar Communications is willing and ready it can buy off so that we could put the money in government coffers for development”.
“In the alternative, if Daar Communications prefers to pay rent, the commercial rent will be determined so that DAAR will continue to pay rent, either monthly or annually”, he explained.
“This is the true situation of the matter at stake which, I observed, critics of the government are giving it different connotations to satisfy their whims and caprices, and this is being compounded by the media for not getting the facts of the matter”.
“Of course, most times, people prefer to listen to detractors more than the government and do not even cross-check their facts before going to press”.
“It is, therefore important for media practitioners to cross-check their facts to properly inform the public on issues to people”.
Abubakar also expressed concern over the wrong information making the wrongs on the television and radio stations, which he noted that their presence in the state is a welcome development.
But agreed that “two wrongs don’t make a right, we have promised that we will correct the wrongs and it is in our bid to correct these wrongs that this action has been taken. So the issue of AIT and Ray power has not been foreclosed”.
Abubakar, also reminded media practitioners of their role and enjoined them to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, and not to engage in partisan politics while offering their service.
Earlier, the Bauchi NUJ Chairman, Dahiru had expressed worry over the government’s withdrawal of the certificate of occupation of the land housing Daar communications and directive to vacate the premises within two weeks for public interest.
Mohammed appealed to the state government to reconsider its decision with a conviction that it is also in public interest to encourage the development of a responsible, pluralistic and vibrant media as bastion of democracy that Daar communication operates. | http://thenationonlineng.net/bauchi-govt-sacks-ait/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/6e23901b0b33bd2649083f7fc17c157bf1fd518ba031603b065c881110a74026.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:48:58 | null | 2016-08-30T13:23:15 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frooney-quit-england-duty-2018%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Rooney to quit England duty in 2018 | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/rooney-quit-england-duty-2018/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/ee17f46517e39c43b9c53403b8ca15b0fe21e43b1ef3c041377d4bd5c9b8af4c.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:49:03 | null | 2016-08-31T09:04:28 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frio-2016-fallout-pulling-nigeria-back-brink%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Blessing-Okagbare-cropped.jpg | en | null | Rio 2016 fallout: Pulling Nigeria back from the brink | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/rio-2016-fallout-pulling-nigeria-back-brink/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/9bda5f144f8cd5f20cedf8995fc8cf3b73409b7cb95c31d9b0e6522c00e2d000.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:46:21 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fstanding-with-buhari%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Standing with Buhari | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The economy is central to every country. How strong or weak the economy is goes a long way to determine how powerful a country may be. If the economy is strong it will reflect in the status of a country. The country will be strong. But if the economy is weak, the country will be weak. There are no two ways about it. The economy is the live wire of any country. This is why countries do everything they can to ensure that they have a robust economy. The economy does not grow overnight. It requires coordinated and sustained planning to build.
For an economy to be vibrant, a country must have functional industries. The real sector, especially, must work in order to generate massive employment. Where the mass of the people is out of job the economy will not thrive. Former American President Bill Clinton knew the importance of the economy to the life of a nation. So during his campaigns, he emphasised that he would concentrate on the American economy, which was then in bad state, if he was elected. ‘’It’s the economy, stupid’’ was his refrain. He did as he promised as he revived the economy and set the United States (U.S) on the path of growth again.
The economy matters and every leader knows this. Any leader, who does not appreciate the value of the economy to the continued growth of his country, does not deserve to be in office. We have seen what can happen if a country’s economy is in tatters. Greece comes to mind in this regard. We all saw what happened to the historic country of recent. It was neck-deep in debt that its economy was shaky. Its citizens were fleeing to seek refuge in other European countries. At a stage things were so bad that its banks shut down because they could not fulfil their obligations to customers. Many went to Automated Teller Machine (ATM) portals to withdraw money, but could not because the machines had no cash.
Greece was on the verge of bankruptcy. To avoid a major crisis, which would have reverberated all over Europe, the European Union (EU), after marathon talks in Brussels, Belgium, resolved to give another 10.3 billion euros to Greece in a third bailout fund. For Greece, the debt relief came at an appropriate time. Since the release of that fund, it has been putting the money to good use to enable it meet the repayment deadline, according to the terms of the bailout. With a debt overhang of 321 billion euros said to be worth 180% of its yearly economic output, things are certainly not looking bright for Greece, but with the continued support of other European countries it can still pull through.
But can the same be said for our country? Where will we get relief if push becomes shove in our own case as our economy keeps tottering? Though we are not burdened by huge foreign debts like Greece, our economy, the so-called rebased economy described as the biggest in Africa by former Coordinating Minister of the Economy Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in April 2014 is prostate. What she and her boss, former President Goodluck Jonathan, handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari is a debased and not a rebased economy. What did they rebase to make our economy the largest on the continent? The rebasing was just the mere inclusion of other sectors hitherto not captured in the economy into it. The fast growing telecommunications and entertainment sectors were brought in to raise the number of industries in the economy.
Knowing that most of us are not literate in economic matters, the government used the rebasing thing to hoodwink us to make us believe that it has done something great with the economy. But the government did nothing because the rebasing did not change anything; it merely raised the number of sectors in the economy. In terms of a thriving economy, South Africa’s is still far, far better than ours and that country is not making noise about it. Firms from that country are just making cool money here and sending it back home to strengthen their economy, while we are gloating about rebasing. Rebasing, my foot.
After battling with the damaged economy handed over to him more than a year ago, Buhari has seen the need to do something urgent about reviving it. This paper reported on Monday that he will seeking emergency powers from the National Assembly on his plan to ‘’stabilise’’ the economy. If this is the way to revive the economy, I am all for it. We are in a drastic situation and we need drastic measures to get us out of it. When American President Barack Obama took over in 2009, he found his country’s economy in similar mess and he wasted no time in asking for a $800 billion stimulus package from the Congress. The Congress granted his request and the US, where unemployment rate was high seven years ago, is today enjoying a good employment rate. Things have never been this better for the US.
The powers Buhari is seeking are for the betterment of our economy. Only those opposed to the revival of the economy will object to what he wants to do. The National Assembly is there to monitor him to ensure that he does not misuse the powers once they are conferred on him. There are too many controls, which have now become strictures on the path of our economy. Though they were not meant as such, the problem we have found ourselves in has made it imperative for these strictures to go, at least for now, for the economy to grow. What Buhari has going for him is his integrity, which is what is required now from anybody seeking to rescue the economy. We will only be deceiving ourselves if we say we are not already in emergency when talking about our economy.
What economy is that when the real sector is virtually dead? What economy is that where there is no regular power supply? What economy is that when over 80% of youths are jobless? What economy is that when there is no security of life and property? We cannot continue to live like this or else we will be breeding criminals that will make life unbearable for us. Is that what we want? Surely not. To the organised private sector (OPS), the president’s plan is in order. The industrialists are all for it because it holds the promise of reviving the comatose economy. I pray that the ‘’Emergency Economic Stabilisation Bill’’ sails through at the National Assembly when it gets there. | http://thenationonlineng.net/standing-with-buhari/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/88630f5babe4393998803b6885c6ee602ac2c70e08a8c96d2e844bc7e1079919.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:48:49 | null | 2016-08-29T18:11:47 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fpharmacists-council-insist-licensing-patent-medicine-dealers%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pcn-logo-e1443296869352.jpg | en | null | Pharmacists council insist on licensing patent medicine dealers | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/pharmacists-council-insist-licensing-patent-medicine-dealers/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/4b378499c04e38c7a3dabf0aaaf2453a5abe9b91980171df49610c08df7114e3.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:48:51 | null | 2016-08-29T17:09:39 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnigeria-will-bounce-back-cleric%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Nigeria will bounce back | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-will-bounce-back-cleric/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/31bf31599b13a2dbff98b077a1152e6397d23da132531d0c7de0713b3052f3f8.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:48:58 | null | 2016-08-30T00:04:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Flagos-tackles-congestion-exciting-projects%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/4th-layby-e1472495662544.jpg | en | null | Lagos tackles congestion with exciting projects | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | WITH a vehicular density of about five million and 20 million trips daily, 90 per cent of which is borne by its network of roads, the Lagos State Government but continually evolves strategies to address traffic congestion, to reduce travel time and make it more pleasurable for residents.
Gone are those nightmarish traffic jams. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has been expanding the road networks to accommodate increasing commuters’ demands.
The state has continued to witness an “almost unbridled population growth”, which the World Economic Forum (WEF) last January, described as “the fastest-growing in the world”.
WEF’s 2015 statistics stated that Lagos was growing at the rate of 85 persons per hour ‑ faster than London and New York, with nine and 10 persons per hour. WEF’s report further stated that while London reached a record of 8.6 million inhabitants in 2015, Lagos grossed over 20 million residents same year.
Though this growth has continued to task its capacity to control traffic, the state, in the past 16 years, has returned to the drawing board to evolve what it called Strategic Transportation Master Plan (STMP), the backbone of which is the promotion of public transportation system.
Commissioner for Transportation Dr Dayo Mobereola said STMP was the safest, cheapest and most reliable form of transportation. This, according to him, is because public transportation ensures fewer vehicles are on the road. Mobereola, who for 10 years headed the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (LAMATA), the engine room of the state’s transportation reforms, said public transportation would help reduce Green House Gases (GHG), and prolong the lifespan of the roads with a reduction in the dead weights of vehicles causing damage to roads.
However, while the government continues to innovate on public transportation, it has also doubled its road construction pace to reduce congestion.
With the delivery of 114 inner roads (Trunk C), which the government mandated the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas to construct, the narratives of gridlock experiences by residents have considerably improved.
But the government seems not to be resting on its oars. It has addressed traffic-prone areas to ease congestion and make commuters more comfortable.
One of such developments is the slip (alternative) road at Olopomeji/Car Wash on Iyana Oworo, which will address the congestion on the Third Mainland Bridge. The slip road is part of the state’s efforts to enhance the experiences of travellers on the major arterial road to the Island, the major financial district.
The slip road from Olopomeji to Ifako is about 1.65km long with an under pass at Ifako.
“Before the introduction of these ideas, it usually took between four to five hours at peak periods to make the journey to Oworo from Obalende, or to hit Obalende from Oworo on the Lagos Island carriage way. With the creation of multiple laybys on both sides of the road, travel times have been reduced to 40 minutes,” Mobereola said recently, adding that this would further be reduced when the slip road is completed.
Similar interventions are simultaneously going on at Abule-Egba, where a fly over bridge is being built to reduce the pressure on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. The project, which is about 65 per cent completed, will lessen the nightmarish experiences of residents living in Iyana-Ipaja, Meiran, Alagbado, Alakuko and on Sango axis, who often spend about seven hours on the road daily.
Another fly-over is planned for Pen Cinema, Agege, which has become a no-go area for many residents during peak periods. Announcing the intervention, government said the project, which would take off in a matter of weeks, would be completed in 26 months.
Last Friday, Ambode visited Ojodu-Berger to see the contractor handling the multiple laybys which will complement the pedestrian bridge built by his administration.
The project, expected to be completed in December, is exciting residents, who believe it will greatly improve traffic on the main artery into the state. | http://thenationonlineng.net/lagos-tackles-congestion-exciting-projects/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/a15b7cc19182daffd92bc49cfb08ee0776e0903c0258332bc3a563d0be50af9f.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:48:33 | null | 2016-08-28T00:03:20 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ftwo-brazilian-miracles-nigeria%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Neymar.jpg | en | null | Two Brazilian Miracles for Nigeria | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The 2016 Rio Olympics has now come and gone. But the stupendous hangover lingers on for the host nation and arguably the most successful participant. When Santa Claus beautifies the Brazilian samba everybody wants the beat to go on forever. The Rio Olympics has been adjudged as a spectacular success, one of the most inspiring and splendidly organized ever. A week after the events, there remains the sweet scent of human triumph against impossible odds.
For Brazil, the host nation, it is the equivalent of a modern miracle; and there is a magical hint of the comeback country in all its gravity-defying essence. Given the seemingly laggard preparations, there were many who swore that the games would never take off or that if they ever did it would be so miserable and dismal, that the foolhardy Brazilians would be forced to hide their head in shame. Up till the opening ceremony, there were whispers that Brazil might throw in the towel. It was as if the endemic tropical languor was about to overwhelm this mammoth nation. But Brazil threw its hat in the ring instead.
The reason for the singularly unoptimistic and bleak view of Brazil’s prospects is obvious. In recent times, the country has been so traumatized by a series of interlocking political and economic crises that it appeared to the outside world that something was about to give. The president who was facing impeachment over allegations of corruption was eventually impeached. In the event, the feisty and indomitable Dilma Rousseff was forced to watch from the sidelines an opening ceremony which was supposed to be a personal coronation; a site of great historic triumph.
But far more serious was the fact that the economic miracle wrought by the immediate past president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which had seen about forty million Brazilians lifted from the trough of abject poverty to the portals of prosperity had stalled. The much beloved Lula himself was in disgrace and political ruination having been found guilty of corrupt practices. The fetid Brazilian slums otherwise known as favelas normally bristling with feral violence and social implosion were rousing once again as implacable returnees lurk with intent.
So serious was the situation that on the eve of the opening ceremony workmen were still working round the clock even as harried artisans could be seen feverishly trying to put finishing touches to structures that seemed destined to remain monuments to architectural folly. And then there was a looming plague known as the Zika virus. But the Brazilians pulled off a dramatic coup. It was a feat of national redemption which will remain evergreen in the annals of the nation-state.
After the opening ceremony which completely silenced cynics, this immense former Portuguese colony and slummy backwaters of underdevelopment left no one in doubt that it intended to make the Rio Olympics an incontrovertible evidence of its arrival at the front seat of modernity and rationality. In the words of Ade Ojeikere, the fine and ever perceptive columnist of The Nation who was there: “With the hosting of the World Cup and the Olympics, the Samba land can safely be called an industrialized nation”.
The last World Cup? It has been said that the hour of gold can also coincide with the hour of lead. If the last World Cup was a national triumph for Brazil, it was also a site of a great national calamity. For most denizens of this soccer crazy nation, Brazil failed woefully where it mattered most and that was in the department of the alternative national religion: football. For this deeply religious and superstitious people, the event is often referred to as “the bad thing” and it has entered national folklore as a day of dark portents.
They are referring to the clinical decimation and disembowelment of the Brazilian national soccer team by a pack of German hard boys in a historic 7-1 drubbing at the semi-final stage of the competition. The entire nation went into a grief-stricken coma. The Maracana stadium, the Mecca of soccer, had seen floods of Brazilian tears before, particularly in the historic fiasco against Uruguay in the 1950 final, but never before on this industrial scale. Men wept and women wailed even as old people sobbed uncontrollably. It was as if the nation has been hit by a major earthquake.
For this writer, the enduring symbol of this Brazilian soccer debacle is frozen in the image of a beautiful Brazilian girl who suddenly toppled and lurched forward on her seat as if shot from behind when the Germans crashed in their fifth goal. It was the most tragically sublime expression wounded national pride that one has ever seen and will remain with yours sincerely this side of the abyss of transition.
But it was the Brazilian masters who had stabbed themselves in the back. Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat the past. For decades, analysts have been warning that the fluid and free-flowing Brazilian soccer template with its carefree naivety and lack of meticulous focus is very vulnerable to the relentless Panzer-like soccer of the Germans and the sublime cynicism of the Italians and Spaniards. In 1982, not even the magic of Eder, Socrates, Zico, Junior and Falcao could save a brilliant and iconic Brazilian team from the relentless goal-poaching of Paulo Rossi.
A week ago, everything, including the God of soccer, came together seamlessly this time for the Brazilians in the Olympics soccer final against the inevitable Germans. It was a Brazilian team redolent of future greatness. In an epic feat of national redemption, the Brazilians have managed to overcome the unrestrained flamboyance and lack of coordination. The soccer still flowed as if the masters were dancing to the samba. The brilliant individual flourish remained and so did the deft magical passing.
But the Brazilians have learnt how to “kill” space going forward and to quickly fall back when dispossessed. In the event, the game stalemated into a deadly midfield duel with neither side wanting to take unwarranted chances which could disrupt the rigid militarized formation. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out, it was Neymar da Silva Santos junior, the eccentric Brazilian genius, who made the difference. Politically, economically and in the soccer department that mattered most to the nation, the Brazilians have come back from the dead.
This inspiring Brazilian double miracle commends itself to a nation like Nigeria as it struggles to overcome its internal difficulties. It is brimming with tropes of redemptive resources. Like the Congo Democratic Republic, this mammoth former colony also shares some major similarities with Nigeria. They are both domains of immense natural resources and variegated economic possibilities.
But Brazil could have been in a worse shape than Nigeria. Although Portugal was technically the very first modern nation-state dating back to the twelfth century, the ancient Portuguese were bearers of a rudimentary modernity shot through with pre-modern irrationality and superstitious fetishes. In terms of civilization and enlightenment they were only marginally better than the ancient Africans they enslaved. But they had superior firepower and a genius for global seafaring.
Yet since the Portuguese had no conception or concept of the nation-state, all their prized overseas possessions, including Brazil itself, were treated as a mere extension or ancillary to the metropolitan homeland. At a point all the colonies were incorporated into the metropole in the first tri-continental kingdom the world has seen. At another point when the Iberian heat became threatening the entire Portuguese royalty relocated to Brazil and this was the case until a series of local revolts put an end to the royal road show.
This was why all the Portuguese colonies in Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau, descended into huge infernos of war and chaos as the struggle for liberation and decolonization got underway. You cannot give what you don’t have. Portugal itself underwent a revolution to see off its ancient ruling caste only in the last quarter of the last century. But all this was mere antiquated stirring in a superannuated feudal tea cup. It was a case of the blind leading the blind.
Yet unlike their indigenous African counterparts, the Brazilian white-settler ruling class have taken the task of modernizing their colonial behemoth far more seriously. This has proved the difference between Brazil and Nigeria. In constant and continuous exertions lasting almost six hundred years, the Brazilians have seen off their colonial conquerors, their imported royalty, their meddlesome military and lately their hegemonic white master-class currently fighting a rearguard battle for a return to the retrogressive status quo. Nigeria has not even thrown up an organic and cohesive nationalist ruling elite.
So while we are ruing the paucity of medals from Rio, let us also remember that this is a reflection of the endemic Nigerian disease of confusing the symptom with the real ailment. Medals are for heroic and well-organized nations. Until a truly modernizing elite arrive that will drive accelerated development and deepen the democratic process in Nigeria, medals will be few and far between. This is the lesson of the Brazilian miracles. | http://thenationonlineng.net/two-brazilian-miracles-nigeria/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/d1b016051ac4256b0ca676cb1e881f5bb68a408caa8f847e9fd78ad8124975d2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:47:35 | null | 2016-08-26T20:27:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2F22-ex-militants-qualify-aircraft-engineers%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | 22 ex-militants qualify as aircraft engineers | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/22-ex-militants-qualify-aircraft-engineers/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/7dd75d72b0a2808001213e20e169b05831dfd40fd2e610b4d5395f7674d4812a.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T06:46:11 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fanointed-obasanjo-presidency-1999-says-bishop-oke%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | I anointed Obasanjo for presidency in 1999, says Bishop Oke | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Ibadan popular preacher, Bishop Wale Oke, has said he anointed Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to become President in his Abeokuta, Ogun State home in 1999 on God’s instruction.
Oke, who is the Presiding Bishop of Sword of the Spirit Ministries, addressed reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on his 60th birthday.
The cleric recalled that God revealed that Obasanjo would be President after Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), adding that he (Oke) should anoint him for the position.
At that time, Oke recalled, Obasanjo had just been released from prison and had no idea about what was awaiting him.
The cleric said he asked pastors at his church in Ogun State if they had contacts with the former Head of State but none of them knew him directly.
He said by God’s arrangement, a cleric of another church in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, invited him to minister in his church, where he asked if he had a personal contact with Obasanjo.
The man, according to Oke, said Obasanjo’s wife, the late Stella, worshipped at his church.
On announcing to Obasanjo that he would be the next President, Oke said: “The man said: ‘No. What did I forget at the State House that I want to go back for?’ But he did not prevent me from anointing him, as directed by God.”
Oke said Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd) visited Obasanjo two weeks after he anointed him and dragged him into politics. “The rest is history today.” He said.
On his 60th birthday, Oke said he was not carried away by its fanfare but the impact he has made on other people’s lives.
He said: “I don’t want to count years. I prefer to count achievements. The impact God has used me to make in the lives of others and in my generation is more important.”
Oke urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to diversify the economy and improve its communication with Nigerians to enable them realise that the current economic problem is global.
The cleric said government should show Nigerians that it did not cause the hardship, to prevent the people from getting the wrong impression.
He added that the Buhari administration should ask Nigerians to pray for the country “because God has solutions to all human problems”.
The birthday also coincided with the annual convention of the ministry, which stated yesterday.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Bishop David Oyedepo are among dignitaries expected at the convention and birthday ceremony. | http://thenationonlineng.net/anointed-obasanjo-presidency-1999-says-bishop-oke/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/851ee974ed8d77805d49db6271aea6179b42ffbac3ee5437b70f11de58c51514.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:48:48 | null | 2016-08-29T18:37:30 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fland-grabbers-murder-plumber-ogun%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Nigerian-Police-e1468272740175.jpg | en | null | Land grabbers murder plumber in Ogun | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/land-grabbers-murder-plumber-ogun/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/67d0e93d233619dc22004718b797a0e6b6b8a22423f6eca0b0a5d1529edf04c7.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:48:48 | null | 2016-08-29T20:15:43 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Feko-athletics-grand-prix-kicks-off-tuesday%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Eko athletics grand prix kicks off Tuesday | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/eko-athletics-grand-prix-kicks-off-tuesday/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/fbfe2f52833f0adbc28882f3c2853f149ce47f84cbfadc278e8d7c6f5530118e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:48:42 | null | 2016-08-29T00:05:09 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fsheriffs-faction-relocates-ondo-pdp-primary-ibadan%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Modu-Sheriff.jpg | en | null | Sheriff’s faction relocates Ondo PDP primary to Ibadan | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled by Senator Ali Sheriff has relocated its governorship primary to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following security reason.
The faction was to pick its candidate for the November 26 election in Akure, the state capital, today.
A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Yemi Akintomide, said the primaries would now hold at the PDP Southwest zonal secretariat in Ibadan.
The statement said the Ahmed Gulak-led Committee constituted by Sheriff had taken over the conduct of the primary from the State Executive Committee, with its Chairman, Biyi Poroye, as member.
It urged aspirants and party delegates to move to Ibadan yesterday in preparation for the primary.
The statement said: “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the primary, as all court pronouncements were in favour of the Senator Alimodu Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.”
Five aspirants, including Jimoh Ibrahim, Sola Ebiseni, Bamiduro Dada, Niran Sule-Akinsuyi and the only female, Mrs. Abiye, are contesting.
The Makarfi faction, where Governor Olusegun Mimiko belongs, conducted its primary election last Monday.
The former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, won the faction’s election, scoring 760 votes against his opponent, Saka Lawal, who got 22 votes. | http://thenationonlineng.net/sheriffs-faction-relocates-ondo-pdp-primary-ibadan/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/7d9b824861b9b0acc8a93bbf2ab459fccf8e2a431d6d69a352e3957415a252ec.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T12:48:10 | null | 2016-08-27T12:08:37 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ffg-will-fully-rehabilitate-boko-haram-victims-buhari%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Buhari-cropped.jpg | en | null | FG will fully rehabilitate Boko Haram victims | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/fg-will-fully-rehabilitate-boko-haram-victims-buhari/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/2ab451644214d46452500b65b032bcaa1b5b98b1c11ae460674e6abfb3465048.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:49:08 | null | 2016-08-30T17:17:08 | A Federal High Court in Abuja declined to grant an order sought by Senator Buruji Kashamu to restrain the DSS and the Nigeria Police from arresting him | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcourt-refuses-stop-kashamu-arrest%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/buruji-kashamu-3-e1429658304951.jpg | en | null | Court refuses to stop Kashamu's arrest | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/court-refuses-stop-kashamu-arrest/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/e506972d0c64453de8b698f8ef5d18c9c48525f1eac7558a89ad0fb5d329c890.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T13:34:02 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnigeria-still-152nd-human-development-ranking%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Nigeria still 152nd in Human Development ranking | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-still-152nd-human-development-ranking/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/e980f57e6e6edab84fd95fb998a459775109665b95a0c079d713cfe5e30d1fd5.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:48:46 | null | 2016-08-29T18:25:01 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcivilian-jtf-commander-killed-kaduna%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jtf1.jpg | en | null | Civilian JTF Commander killed in Kaduna | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/civilian-jtf-commander-killed-kaduna/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/4400051cd0643b398f8ea2621eb144fc80470493487923de41189cb4be5dbb36.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:47:55 | null | 2016-08-26T16:30:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ffg-states-lgs-share-n493-8bn-july%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | FG, states, LGs share N493.8bn in July | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/fg-states-lgs-share-n493-8bn-july/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/8ceb46941a6d8cb36c0ba64b5637d933677e2198e0a554fdf7248c05141570bc.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:48:52 | null | 2016-08-30T00:05:37 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcpc-urges-compliance-guarantee-warranty-policy%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CPC.jpg | en | null | CPC urges compliance with guarantee, warranty policy | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Dupe Atoki, has urged businesses to live up to the specified guarantee and warranty policy for the products and services they offer.
Mrs. Atoki, who addressed key industry operators in automobile, electrical/electronics, heavy duty equipment, online markets and superstores subsectors of the economy yesterday at a meeting in Lagos, said the success of the drive of the country to diversify the economy would hinge on the quality of products and the entrenchment of guarantee and warranty in the country’s business culture.
She stresed the Council’s commitment for the entrenchment and adoption of business cultures and also support government’s renewed drive to unbundle the economy, but regretted that manufacturers and distributors have not only short-changed consumers by their failure to honour their products or services’ implied guarantee or warranty, but have also abused consumer rights with ouster clauses, such as “no refund of money after payment,” and “goods received in good condition cannot be returned” on their receipts.
The CPC chief lamented that multinationals that uphold these tenets in their home countries have come short of implementing them in Nigeria.
She said: “Worse still is the fact that even multinational corporations that adhere strictly to the tenets of implied, or specified guarantee and warranty in other countries, come up with all sorts of devices in Nigeria to renege on same.”
Describing the situation as unacceptable, Mrs. Atoki advised businesses operating in the country to emulate their counterparts in other climes where “the concept of guarantee and warranty is taken for granted because manufacturers in those countries do not only strive to produce according to specifications, but also make after sales service an integral part of their marketing strategy.
“As a result, businesses in such climes have clearly articulated policies on return, repair, replacement, or refund of money for products which do not meet the expectation of consumers”.
She observed that the almost non-existent after sales service culture among businesses in Nigeria has denied consumers of simple redress of their complaints without the intervention of the Council. “It is a common occurrence to see businesses invent reasons to justify why consumers should not derive the desired benefits from their purchases,” she lamented, adding that it is disheartening for instance, “to see a consumer purchases a product, which should serve for a number of years, but malfunctions after a few weeks, without any indication of support from the supplier. | http://thenationonlineng.net/cpc-urges-compliance-guarantee-warranty-policy/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/8dff0c820f8d67d109f3a531a72112d9bc215cdbdf743bbe90c0cb0fc23ff223.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T15:33:08 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fman-arrested-impersonating-movie-star%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Man arrested for 'impersonating' movie star | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/man-arrested-impersonating-movie-star/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/57d989f65ff58ec3e3c1f8b783ed51c9ab6876b0a37b93d3efeaab88b43c6df4.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T14:49:09 | null | 2016-08-31T14:32:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbuhari-signs-n241-5b-fct-budget%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/President-Muhammadu-Buhari-e1471116429573.jpg | en | null | Buhari signs N241.5b FCT budget | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-signs-n241-5b-fct-budget/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/8b3cfb32471ef04f4f1a8339b27f97db6158bb702a10cb034d9ffe847f579cb9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:47:24 | null | 2016-08-26T16:27:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fndlea-arrests-51-year-old-woman-heroin%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | NDLEA arrests 51-year old woman with heroin | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/ndlea-arrests-51-year-old-woman-heroin/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/d4e047843ecca7da7d088a8cd1329ceced35177e283c9f57110ac06142d3d848.json |
[
"Yakubu Kirfi"
] | 2016-08-26T12:47:55 | null | 2016-08-26T05:13:15 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Flawyers-caught-writing-exams-students-law-school-dg-alleges%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Olanrewaju-Onadeko.jpg | en | null | Lawyers caught writing exams for students, Law School DG alleges | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/lawyers-caught-writing-exams-students-law-school-dg-alleges/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/c15c65e19cc930242ccc75f835398670a866da78fd7441c8b3b15ab44db6b1c3.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T00:49:09 | null | 2016-08-31T00:06:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fkwara-introduce-new-salary-structure%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/kwara.jpg | en | null | New salary structure for Kwara council workers | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The government of Kwara State yesterday said a new salary structure would be introduced for council workers next month.
Commissioner for Local Governments, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development Haruna Muhammad addressed reporters in Ilorin, the state capital.
Muhammad said the salary structure would follow recommendations of the verification panel and that the outcome of the report will determine the policy direction on council administration.
“The panel submitted its report and it is due for consideration. The government would have loved to start the implementation in July but for time constraints.
“What determines our salary is the inflow from the federation account. By September, we will start a new salary regime to reflect our findings,” the commissioner said.
On backlog of council salaries, Mohammed said the problem would be resolved when the economy improved.
He described the state’s Joint Allocation Account noting that it accommodated stakeholders from government and labour unions. | http://thenationonlineng.net/kwara-introduce-new-salary-structure/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/e2d4194845965fa44477c16d5afc54de9833720c3e603791a2220d41af9e08af.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:48:59 | null | 2016-08-30T12:21:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fpolice-nab-herdsman-ammunition-enugu%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Police nab herdsman with ammunition in Enugu | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/police-nab-herdsman-ammunition-enugu/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/eb545f9769291200eff74025dfc81e917f9e8f1a8c862866e2028982d6bcff88.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:48:53 | null | 2016-08-30T09:50:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fitaly-rescues-6500-migrants-mediterranean%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Italy rescues 6,500 migrants from Mediterranean | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/italy-rescues-6500-migrants-mediterranean/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/fe67e39828c00c0d2271d80524c0040bdac5aab10503a9a670456b9fc9f5a7ab.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:48:55 | null | 2016-08-29T17:05:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fedo-inec-set-distribute-pvcs%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Edo: INEC set to distribute PVCs | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/edo-inec-set-distribute-pvcs/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/30de6af6e5d04b0ae12f933f0b14ace3ad5f13b45d7ec2e241103fd71b54d86a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:50:12 | null | 2016-08-26T17:44:15 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Foil-price-slide-will-open-sectors-economy-soludo%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Prof.-Charles-Soludo.jpg | en | null | Oil price slide will open other sectors of economy | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/oil-price-slide-will-open-sectors-economy-soludo/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/0e05d47fe6ae1ed938ec7fb4890e6d8fab00cc70d9c877ca1462195816628523.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:48:40 | null | 2016-08-28T00:07:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fsiasia-quits-u-23-coach-slams-dalung-nff%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Siasia2-e1472334312327.jpg | en | null | Siasia quits as U-23 coach, slams Dalung, NFF | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | SAMSON Siasia, who coached Nigeria’s men’s football team to a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, is quitting the game in his country because of what he describes as “a disrespectful system”.
Siasia, the most decorated African football coach at the Olympics having also won a silver medal in Beijing in 2008, claims to have gone unpaid for five months by his employers – the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He says he has quit football in Nigeria after “a turbulent and incredible campaign in Brazil.
“I have reached that point where I have to say I have had enough,” Siasia, whose contract expires at the end of the Olympics, told BBC Sport.
“I’ve gone several months without getting paid, years of being derided and disrespected by the sports authorities in Nigeria but I am done already.
“It’s sad that after all we went through to get to Brazil and end up winning a bronze medal, the players, coaching and backroom staff never received a ‘thank you’ in appreciation despite a turbulent time at the Olympics” Siasia added.
Before arriving in Rio, Nigeria’s ‘Dream Team VI’ were held up in Atlanta, USA, because of a problem with the payment for their flight, and they only landed in Brazil just hours before their opening 5-4 win over Japan.
Nigeria also had a troubled build-up to their quarter-final against Denmark after the players boycotted a training session in a dispute over pay.
Amid all the problems that blighted their campaign, the team showed courage under adversity to clinch the country’s only medal at the Rio games.
“First we had the minister deride us for camping in Atlanta and even denied our existence as a group before the flight problems,” recalled Siasia.
“Players had to embark on a strike to be heard, then the boys kept a good spirit to win an incredible medal, only to be publicly criticised for speaking to the Japanese surgeon who supported and rewarded the team for their brave spirit. | http://thenationonlineng.net/siasia-quits-u-23-coach-slams-dalung-nff/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/87b5f31409602980e3948cf744c8e97c9c4a92d12b8e4bc5b6d569a03ab85f09.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:48:50 | null | 2016-08-29T18:46:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fittf-world-juniors-nttf-unveil-team-week%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SOLANKE-Azeez-NGR-2.jpg | en | null | ITTF world juniors: NTTF to unveil team this week | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/ittf-world-juniors-nttf-unveil-team-week/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/f001bda061d349508ecf1fdbf3ef0bbf3e26d194f27639d77aeb6778cb5707bd.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:48:39 | null | 2016-08-29T09:06:28 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fscientist-says-research-confirmed-new-medicine-treat-arthritis%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Scientist says research have confirmed new medicine to treat arthritis | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/scientist-says-research-confirmed-new-medicine-treat-arthritis/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/d1a2d13560476c21e4cafb51aa7a0f86455806633f1e45c654dea66606c0d77b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:47:32 | null | 2016-08-26T20:56:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fjamb-set-upload-names-successful-candidates%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/jamb.jpg | en | null | JAMB set to upload names of successful candidates | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/jamb-set-upload-names-successful-candidates/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/ceb28ff34affeef4837002dae87b2d8f3d36e160bdcf9a6c517245e5c0ea4788.json |
[
"Omooba Adekunle Orafidiya"
] | 2016-08-28T10:46:00 | null | 2016-08-28T00:02:07 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fhistory-gandujekwankwasiyya-battles%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ff-1.jpg | en | null | History and the Ganduje/Kwankwasiyya battles | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | NEARLY one year of simmering conflict between Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his mentor, ex-governor and serving senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has rubbished a proud history of mentorship and cooperation in the often volatile political terrain of Kano State. It is not unprecedented, but it is still shocking. Last week, the disagreement took a turn for the worse when policemen sealed the guest house headquarters of the Kwankwasiyya movement, a project designed to reinforce the politics and ideas of the former governor. Though a petition has been forwarded to the Police Service Commission to investigate why the police should ‘unconstitutionally’ abridge the rights of a people, the police authorities in the state said they were reacting to an ‘intelligence report that a mass wedding was to be held at the Kwankwaso-owned venue.’
There are a myriad of reasons the two leading Kano politicians fell out, ranging from the post-Kwankwaso era composition of the state cabinet, image/influence supremacy battles, federal cabinet and board appointments, and even to the reckless and imposing behaviour of the supporters of both politicians, among many serious others. There will always be reasons to fall out between two powerful politicians. But few expect the nature and severity of the recent conflict. For eight years, the two had a great working relationship, first as governor and deputy between 1999 and 2003, and again between 2011 and 2015. Such friendship and loyalty are not forged on superficial bonds. But whether the damage can be repaired or not is the great question the Kanawa will struggle within the context of their radical and volatile politics to answer in the years ahead, especially shortly before and during the next elections.
Political conflicts of the Ganduje/Kwankwaso texture are not a rarity in Kano, nor even elsewhere in Nigeria. The brilliant and charismatic Abubakar Rimi fell out with the iconic Aminu Kano, with telling and seismic consequences both for the two politicians and for the state’s economic development, and also for the cause of Nigerian progressivism. If Governor Ganduje and Senator Kwankwaso fail to reach a peace agreement, the naturally radical Kano electorate will ventilate their disagreements in ways that are difficult to predict or harness. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been unable to broker peace, for whether at state or national level, the party itself is too locked in fierce structural and ideological battles to be a credible and effective agent of peace. Of all the 36 states, Kano State comes closest to the classical definition of a civic culture. So without peace in the ruling party, the consequences may be electorally unpredictable, as the state’s very interesting recent history has shown.
However, the malaise gnawing at the politics of Kano has precedence elsewhere, especially during the Second Republic. Even more than Enugu State in the Fourth Republic, the old Anambra State in the Second Republic seemed to be the archetype of political discord. In Enugu State, ex-governor Jim Nwobodo virtually enthroned Chimaroke Nnamani in 1999, but the former was chased out of the state by the latter. And when Dr Nnamani also installed Sullivan Chime in 2007, the latter also fed the former to the sharks. But the story of the old Anambra State archetype is a little different. There, two gladiators battled for the soul and body of the state. Chief Nwobodo, the man with a thousand political battle scars, constituted the so-called Jim Vanguard to entrench and sustain his hegemony against federal invaders, first and more tamely led by Vice President Alex Ekwueme, and then second and more fiercely led by the Nkemba Front inspired by Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who was drafted from exile by the Shehu Shagari National Party of Nigeria (NPN) government to give battle to the Jim Vanguard. The Nkpor Junction confrontation between the two armed organisations that led to the loss of many lives bore testimony to the fierceness of the struggle in those days.
If reason prevails in Kano, and law enforcement agencies can find the good grace, humour and professionalism to resist the temptation to take sides so brazenly as they appeared to have done last week, perhaps, eventually the friends of Dr Ganduje and Senator Kwankwaso, not to say the sometimes dithering party itself, may be able to find a formula for peace in the state. What may no longer be realistic is restoring the two Kano politicians to the state of amity and cooperation they enjoyed up till 2015. Let them eye each other warily if they must, but by all means let them keep the peace no matter how gingerly. | http://thenationonlineng.net/history-gandujekwankwasiyya-battles/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/85f3e6e2dcb4a0d90a97ad73e1c84bc63a2c957bc6e1a247f267082360400b8e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:48:43 | null | 2016-08-29T15:17:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fgov-accuses-highly-placed-individuals-shielding-criminals%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ajimobi.jpg | en | null | Gov accuses highly placed individuals of shielding criminals | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/gov-accuses-highly-placed-individuals-shielding-criminals/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/e93b893ba45c04ba406bd860ed17d08146bd216f17a962bee8dff4af7eb2b9b7.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:48:39 | null | 2016-08-28T00:09:31 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fsoldiers-kill-five-niger-delta-militants-operation-crocodile-smile-begins%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/army.jpg | en | null | Army kills 5 militants as 'Operation Crocodile Smile' begins | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | •Avengers name Soyinka, Kalu others as committee members •Tension heightens
Troops of the 133 Special Forces Battalion of the Army have killed five suspected militants as Operation Crocodile Smile got underway in the Niger Delta at the weekend.
Twenty three other suspects were arrested, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said.
The operation which was flagged off by the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, is aimed at getting rid of all forms of criminal activities in the region.
Meanwhile, there was tension in the Niger Delta region at the weekend following special military drills on the first day of Operation Crocodile Smile (OCM). This is coming as the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) yesterday named Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, former Abia State governor Orji Kalu and others as members of its panel to dialogue with the federal government.
The operation was designed by the military to equip the amphibious and internal security operations in the riverine areas against the activities of Niger Delta militants.
It is also designed to train Special Forces, formations and units located in the region.
It is said to comprise both strategy perfection and public confidence building.
Col. Usman said yesterday that in the course of the operation, some militants attacked the troops who then responded and succeeded in killing five of them. “Numerous others were injured and 23 suspects were arrested,” he said.
The operation was carried out by the Special Forces at the militants’ camps.
The army spokesperson said items recovered from the camps include two AK-47 rifles, 11 Pump Action Guns, a locally made revolver pistol, 292 cartridges of live Ammunition, 199 rounds of AK-47 rifle Ammunition, four electricity generating sets and a Camp Gas Cooker.
The troops also recovered an abandoned Engine Boat left by the fleeing militants.
Usman had said on Friday that ‘Exercise Crocodile Smile’ was not all about guns and boats.
He said that apart from the training aspect of it, the Army’s Medical Corps was involved in medical in Sapele, Delta State.
He said:”It will be recalled that we have shown you the massing up of the troops yesterday (Thursday).Today (Friday), the buildup of logistics has commenced.
“The human side of the ongoing exercise includes free medical outreach for Sapele communities in Delta.
“The Nigerian Army Medical Corps has fully deployed to the area attending to medical needs of the communities free of charge.”
It was gathered the Operation Crocodile Smile has resulted in massive deployment of troops to the creeks of the Niger Delta through the Sapele waterways.
Residents reported witnessing many military gunboats, war-kitted soldiers and other maritime military hardware moving into the creeks.
The deployment was said to have created apprehension among residents of the riverine communities causing an atmosphere of a siege.
The President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, said he has been inundated with complaints of people scampering for safety and fleeing into the forest on sighting the troops.
He argued that in the spirits of the ongoing dialogue to resolve the crisis in the region, the federal government ought to have called off all military operations in the Niger Delta.
He said it amounted to insincerity on the part of the government to be demanding dialogue while conducting an exercise to launch a major military operation in the region at the same time.
Eradiri insisted that any form of military action in the region could jeopardise efforts of leaders such as Chief Edwin Clark to stop the crisis.
He said: “The EK Clark Committee has brought all Niger Delta leaders together. The MEND and the avengers support them. The other day, the Minister for Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu met with them again.
“The unfortunate fact is whether government is sincere in this whole business. How can the military within the period announced that they are carrying out an exercise in the Niger Delta?
“As at yesterday night, there was this rumour that they were going to attack Gbaramatu and the entire community started scampering into the forest because soldiers were seen mobilising in Sapele.
“When we asked, they said the military had met the governor and said they wanted to do a two-week drill in Niger Delta. It is wrong. They should suspend any form of activity because there is an interpretation of a sinister motive in their activities.”
A statement by Ballatyne Agiri, contact person for the East and Central zones of the Niger Delta Avengers said Soyinka will serve as adviser to the committee.
Other members of the committee are Professor Steve Odi Owei Etibom, Dr. Anthony A. Ani, Nalaguo Chris Alagoa, Mrs. Alice Mobolaji Osomo and Mr. Inienimi Ballantyne Agiri. | http://thenationonlineng.net/soldiers-kill-five-niger-delta-militants-operation-crocodile-smile-begins/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/5bc2af0e25678c539faae60d770bdf3c85d8a312da8396e5683d096e9d4f7fcc.json |
[
"Sir Demo"
] | 2016-08-29T06:46:12 | null | 2016-08-25T00:02:02 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fvarsity-only-in-name%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-varsity-only-in-name.jpg | en | null | Varsity only in name? | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Nine years after its establishment, the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa seems to be a higher institution only by name. The school is facing many challenges that have led to incessant closures. The local Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared an indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries and the government’s inability to fund the school. DANIEL OLADELE reports.
Deep regrets. Disappointments. High expectations.These sum up the feelings of lecturers and students of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa. Weeds have covered the institution. There is little or no hope for the outgoing government’s attention.
Established nine years ago by the state government to offer technology-driven knowledge to high school leavers in the state, the varsity has become a ghost of itself and an eyesore to Okitipupa indigenes, who were elated when the insitution was built in the town.
Despite spirited efforts by members of the university community to save the institution from extinction, it has remainsed in shambles due to its neglect by the Ondo State Government since inception.
To compound the woes of the university, its chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared an indefinite strike over non-payment of six-month salary arrears. This has further worsened the plight of the students, who have been at home for three months.
There seems to be no respite for the dying institution, as the state is currently bubbling with electioneering. The Visitor to the school, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, seems not interested in turning around the fortunes of the university before he quits office.
A visit by CAMPUSLIFE to the main campus of the university showed a status that betrayed anything close to a university. For a first-time nothing, the campus can be mistaken for a game reserve. The only set of inter-linked buildings serves as the Faculty of Engineering, which is the only one in the institution since inception. Other structures on the campus have been overgrown by bushes. The road from the school gate is untarred and riddled with potholes.
In this mess the school has become, undergraduates are ‘trained’ in disciplines that are far from technology. A check on the university’s website showed the courses being offered as: Botany, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Microbiology, Zoology, Biochemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Computer Science, Industrial Mathematics, Geophysics, and Physics.
Students admitted for disciplines related to technology are confronted with infrastructure challenges. They are only taught theory; there is no functional laboratory to engage in practicals of the courses they are taught in classrooms. In a few months, the institution would graduate the second set of students, but the majority of the first set of its graduates are unable to go for the compulsory National Youth Service due to the incessant closures of the institution.
Unable to entertain the government’s excuses, ASUU, at its congress last Wednesday, reiterated its calls for the reorganisation of the institution, and maintained its “no pay, no work” stance. The union vowed not to resume work until all salaries and allowances of its members have been fully paid.
A communique issued after ASUU’s congress, obtained by CAMPUSLIFE, reads: “We have observed that the state government has totally abandoned the university and the reality on ground is a far cry from the impression created by officials of the state government in the media. It is visible even to the blind that the university is in a state of total neglect.
“The Union has chosen to maintain a dignified silence on the attitude of the Olusegun Mimiko-led government to the university for a very long time, because of the integrity and image of the university. But, the fallacious statements being circulated by the Ondo government officials have prodded us to speak. Continued silence by the Union will do more harm than good to the image and integrity of the university.
“Also, there has not been any improvement or maintenance on the structures on ground or any effort to erect new ones since the take-off of the university. There has not been release of subvention to the school in the past few years. We have observed low morale among staff and this is affecting research.”
ASUU said the government had been inconsistent with the funding of the university, a situation, it said, has led to irregularity of salaries, recruitment of unqualified and inexperienced academic staff and decline in staff welfare.
The lecturers said problems facing the university were beyond what the Governing Council could solve.
“Only serious intervention from the state government can put an end to the challenges facing the school” ASUU said.
In a letter titled: OSUSTECH: A duty of care, addressed to Mimiko by the local chapter of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the varsity workers said the institution was on the verge of collapse.
The letter, signed by SSANU chairman, Dayo Temola, reads: “The university has been running only on one faculty (Faculty of Science) since it was inaugurated for academic activities by Your Excellency in 2010. Years after, the university still glorifies itself with one faculty. Other universities established after, including Kwara State University and Osun State University, boast of more than four faculties with different architectural masterpiece. We wonder what knowledge students can get in a one-faculty university.”
Temola said contractors handling various projects on the campus left site since 2011. The level of infrastructural decay on the campus, he said, should be a wake-up call for any serious government to intervene urgently. It is on record that the university has not taken a capital grant since 2013.”
Lending its voice to draw attention the plight of students in OSUSTECH, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) expressed displeasure over the state of the institution. Its Public Relations Officer, Gbenga Akinsuyi, blamed the government for the decay in the institution, urging Mimiko to restore the glory of the institution before he leaves office.
A final year student, Nicolas Olorunfemi, was dissatisfied with the strike. He said the incessant closure of OSUSTECH had affected its academic calendar. He urged the government to pay the striking workers for students to graduate on time. | http://thenationonlineng.net/varsity-only-in-name/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/f273edf4b697e54000da2c1077df34d8ef7e9fc652b9d75236a7d9d59c7bf847.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:49:03 | null | 2016-08-26T19:36:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fexercise-crocodile-smile-not-guns-boats-army%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | ‘Exercise Crocodile Smile’ not about guns, boats | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/exercise-crocodile-smile-not-guns-boats-army/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/3482090ee40982ad3ee21f9296e8cddde9f58c6812461e0899b65a1c4608a646.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:49:33 | null | 2016-08-26T19:27:12 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbuhari-approves-governing-boards-npa-nimasa-2%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/President-Muhammadu-Buhari-e1471116429573.jpg | en | null | Buhari approves governing boards for NPA, NIMASA | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-approves-governing-boards-npa-nimasa-2/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/c05781a062a8a183ae84569b3b933ea292d87b487b4be73498607b6571aae609.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:59:14 | null | 2016-08-26T12:42:38 | Bolivian miners on Thursday during a clash with the police in the town of Panduro hacked the Deputy Interior Minister to death. | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fminister-death-striking-bolivian-miners%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Minister beaten to death by striking miners | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/minister-death-striking-bolivian-miners/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/191154bb9225754196df91a49ddcbadcad1b6cb68752b0a0dd73b2b7e2a393cf.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T18:48:35 | null | 2016-08-28T18:28:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fparading-suspects-unconstitutional-lawyers%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Parading of suspects unconstitutional | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Ease of doing business: Nigeria will be top 100 countries by 2019, says Buhari
2:57 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/parading-suspects-unconstitutional-lawyers/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/f1a02ba0b00952ced5c10bce95e9404d002c7223c25677bcc591ca3a0b374aba.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:48:56 | null | 2016-08-30T11:08:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fexman-launches-certified-brand-ambassadors-programme%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/EXMAN.jpg | en | null | EXMAN launches certified brand ambassadors’ Programme | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/exman-launches-certified-brand-ambassadors-programme/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/19d41752f7fc768d8b64cea94e1fc7042d169173faf8a0b51819deba8204ac3a.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:47:46 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcan-toke-makinwa-fly-others-failed%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Toke-Makinwa.png | en | null | Can Toke Makinwa fly where others failed? | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | FOLLOWING her bitter divorce from her former husband, popular on-air-personality and blogger, Toke Makinwa, seems to have gotten her groove back, going by the pictures of her and her new US-based lover, Oluseyi Kuye, which have gone viral on the social media.
Toke, who sources say has in recent times been reflecting on her heart-breaking experience with her ex-hubby, Maje Ayida, over alleged act of infidelity while the two remained married, was said to have been spotted during a lunch date with her new beau.
Toke officially filed for divorce from her estranged husband after the two went through a rough patch the latter’s ex-girlfriend.
According to court documents, she listed a couple of reasons why the court should grant her a divorce from Maje, based on infidelity and irreconcilable differences, among other allegations.
But all that seems to be history now with reports that Toke has fully got over her rift with Maje, finding love in the arms of her new heartthrob, who lives in Wichita, Kansas in the United States of America.
Her new lover is said to be of Egba extraction in Ogun State.
Toke’s lovers and fans are, however, worried that her new crush is based abroad, given the fate that has befallen many female celebrities before her whose marriages with foreign-based husbands ended in heartbreaks.
Below is a list of female celebrities who have suffered this ugly fate.
Taiwo Aromokun
Popular Yoruba actress, Taiwo Aromokun’s marriage to Holland-based Olayemi Abimbola, popularly known as Ogun of Holland, was celebrated with pomp and ceremony after the two lovebirds signed the dotted lines on December 26, 2012, at the Ikoyi Marriage Registry in Lagos.
Taiwo, a solid role interpreter, promptly relocated to be with her husband. Soon after, she was rewarded with a set of twin boys, Jade and Jamine.
But after what seemed a roller coaster ride with her marriage, the actress came out a few weeks ago to announce that her marriage has indeed packed up.
Speaking during a television interview, she also stated that the most important thing to her is to take care of her two kids and concentrate more on her job.
‘I am no longer in marriage. I made a big mistake going into that marriage and I have realised my mistakes,” she said.
She also foreclosed any plan for another relationship for the meantime.
“I am not ready for any relationship for now. You know what, I still believe in love and I am advising ladies who have found true love to hold on to it, because it exists. For me, I need to concentrate on my work and my talk show which will be coming up possibly in May, 2016.”
Bisi Ibidapo-Obe
Prior to her affair with Senator Dino Melaye, which resulted in the birth of a baby girl, popular Yoruba actress, Bisi Ibidapo-Obe, was linked with different lovers, each ending in heartbreak.
Speaking soon after swallowing the bitter pill of her rejection by Dino, Bisi said: “I must confess that I never knew my love affair with the father of my baby would turn awry, but it did. Fortunately for me, the guy I was dating before stood by me when my daughter’s father rejected me.
“He saw all that happened as a script written by God, which had to play out. He stood by me throughout the pregnancy and he is still there for me. I have found love again.”
Unfortunately for Bisi, as was the case with her with past lovers, the guy in question, UK-based Kunle Ashimi, came out to deny that he was back with her or that he had any plan to marry her.
He was also quoted as saying: “There is nothing of such happening. We are just best of friends. So let’s keep the facts as it is.”
Uche Ogbodo
Fair-complexioned Nollywood actress, Uche Ogbodo, is no stranger to controversies. So it was for her failed marriage to ex-Nigerian footballer, Ato Ubby.
Speaking recently on why the marriage failed, Uche, who is known to say things the way they are, said:
“The marriage didn’t work out. Yes, it was a marriage, but we didn’t do any wedding. We didn’t do any court marriage or church wedding. We did nothing. We didn’t even do traditional marriage. But in my culture, there are many processes to getting married and I did a few of those. So, you can say I was married.
“In Igbo land, there are rites you adhere to before you can say this is my wife, and I did a couple of them. You cannot do rites openly; it’s just a family thing, family members only. It’s not a traditional wedding.
“If I had done traditional wedding, I would definitely invite people. If I had done a white wedding, I would have invited people. If I had done a court marriage, I would still have invited people. But it was just rites. I didn’t do anything the public needed to know. So you can’t say I did any marriage in secret.
“My marriage was full of lies. I cannot tell you in detail what those lies were, but it was based on lies. It’s a pity it didn’t work out. I didn’t go into the marriage to crash it. I wanted a family; I wanted a loving home and a loving husband. That was why I went into it in the first place. But as nature would have it, I didn’t get any of those.”
Laide Bakare
Popular Yoruba actress, Laide Bakare’s marriage to her ex-husband, US-based Olumide Okufulire, with whom she had a daughter, ended on a very acrimonious note.
The marriage, which was contracted some years ago, was well-celebrated at the beginning, with the actress always speaking in glowing terms about her husband.
But Laide has since put the story of the failed marriage behind her and indeed has unveiled the new man in her life. The man who has stolen Laide’s heart is said to be a wealthy but married man.
But her ex is not giving up without a fight. In a serious battle to get the custody of their daughter, Olumide said: “She cannot be a good mother to our daughter. How come she has not gone to court but the media for separation? Separation can only come through the court.
“American government gave Laide a Green Card because she is legally married to me. We had a court marriage in Nigeria also. When she was supposed to be a faithful wife, she would leave her matrimonial home to stay with married men in Lagos, all in the name of being an actress.
“I couldn’t monitor her because I am not always in Nigeria. In fact, there was a time she left our baby, Similoluwa, with me for eight months in America in the name of career.”
Moji Olaiya
The story was the same for Yoruba actress Moji Olaiya. Her marriage to her ex-hubby, Bayo Okesola, ended in a fashion that was very similar to others aforementioned.
Though she would later come out to explain that the marriage failed as a result of alleged abuse and the fact that her husband failed to bind with her daughter from a previous marriage, those close to the couple said they were not surprised that the marriage failed to work.
Lola Alao
Actress Lola Alao is not new to controversy, especially those that have to do with her love life. The mother of one recently denied that her marriage to America-based Nigerian, Olawale Ajibola, may have crashed.
But sources have claimed that her husband may actually have left her for her best friend.
However, this would not be the first time that Lola would go through such experience. The beauty, however, is that she has come out stronger each time. | http://thenationonlineng.net/can-toke-makinwa-fly-others-failed/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/0952bfeccbfe2a1f9a787061d7106fd0961f6afeffd114c7274fe4fbf4cab65c.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:48:19 | null | 2016-08-27T13:59:47 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Folympics-three-kenyan-officials-arrested-mismanagement%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Olympics: Three Kenyan officials arrested over mismanagement | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/olympics-three-kenyan-officials-arrested-mismanagement/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/a114603adb0fc265af3e1dfad74b35cdde8145f013c44e5ec9089737f9d0e7d6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:51:34 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Nigeria's award winning widest circulating newspaper covering News, Politics, Entertainment, Sports, Education and General interest stories nationwide. | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | The Nation Newspaper Nigeria | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | First, she became ill, started a drive to raise treatment costs which succeeded before she and and her family were accused of financially manipulating the good hearts of Nigerians. But on Sunday, everything ended as reports broke that 29-ye... Read more | http://thenationonlineng.net/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/eb559ec8adb6db80ba0133dca09fb75fc0a82a1112b81435bcb8a37e13b35bdf.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:48:42 | null | 2016-08-29T14:37:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fambode-sacks-ogunsanwo-lirs-chairman%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Akinwunmi-Ambode.jpg | en | null | Ambode sacks Ogunsanwo as LIRS chairman | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/ambode-sacks-ogunsanwo-lirs-chairman/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/8d90e5d22d140239bf5210fc3e9802eb477a79e709182868cb9d5a197a4474a5.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:48:49 | null | 2016-08-29T16:56:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fanother-jailbreak-attempt-prevented-kuje-prison%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Prison-696x522.jpg | en | null | Another jailbreak attempt prevented in Kuje Prison | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/another-jailbreak-attempt-prevented-kuje-prison/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/a44580a70cd89f6b7e6244defd1b3fba23b00322c2221402e4c9f3872597461e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:48:50 | null | 2016-08-29T20:01:08 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnimet-predicts-thunderstorms-rainy-weather-tuesday%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Nimet.jpg | en | null | NiMet predicts thunderstorms, rainy weather for Tuesday | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/nimet-predicts-thunderstorms-rainy-weather-tuesday/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/ea1b7fa1a99846ab5ac2125b69b3d435976f10625267e64c7c4398b8d3267271.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:02 | null | 2016-08-26T17:13:12 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnew-nba-president-sworn%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | New NBA president sworn in | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/new-nba-president-sworn/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/b7adbb0b8366739ffd4c291ae2374bf9370154ed7ad267b8c8e564c0549bbdc5.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:49:07 | null | 2016-08-31T10:39:36 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcbn-licenses-11-new-intl-money-transfer-operators%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/CBN.jpg | en | null | CBN licenses 11 new Int’l money transfer operators | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/cbn-licenses-11-new-intl-money-transfer-operators/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/64a041dff51431e2941053e202155a3753c2856eda06d9c107addc304a6685da.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:46:22 | null | 2016-08-30T00:03:19 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fchina-build-1-85b-kano-light-rail%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | China to build $1.85b Kano light rail | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | China Railway Construction Corporation said it has won a $1.851 billion contract to construct the Kano city light rail.
In an announcement yesterday, the company said it has received a provisional letter of award from Nigeria for the the 74.3 kilometres rail track.
The first phase of the project construction is billed to take two years, while the second phase of the four-line rail is expected to take another two years.
It said the contract amountd of approximately $1.851 billion (equivalent to approximately RMB 120.3 Billion), accounting for two per cent of the Company’s 2015 revenue, under the China Accounting Standards,” the announcement read.
Nigeria is investing heavily in capital projects, building infrastructure, and replacing half-a-century old rail lines, in the country.
With over N1 trillion budgeted for capital expenditure in the 2016 appropriation Act, Nigeria is expected to invest the highest amount of money in capex in its 56-year history. | http://thenationonlineng.net/china-build-1-85b-kano-light-rail/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/de4207005a6505928da2f081370de2086b1746bf71f6108855520b2a6ef7c323.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:48:05 | null | 2016-08-26T15:23:17 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbuhari-relaying-foundation-new-nigeria-osibanjo%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/President-Muhammadu-Buhari-e1471116429573.jpg | en | null | Buhari is relaying foundation of a New Nigeria | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-relaying-foundation-new-nigeria-osibanjo/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/7cf098c612edb3af4e227f5914f0c449462060e758420b52590a9172dac4f3bd.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:48:42 | null | 2016-08-29T09:44:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2F40-killed-yemen-suicide-attack%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | 40 killed in Yemen suicide attack | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/40-killed-yemen-suicide-attack/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/fd531f4ed4a4f3e5cc6bbfe3df4b551d83857629c1ff97bbb9ac609669448ecc.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:47:38 | null | 2016-08-27T01:18:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbehind-okowa-uduaghans-cold-war-delta%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Okowa-and-Uduangan.jpg | en | null | Behind Okowa, Uduaghan's cold war in Delta | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The quiet war between Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and his immediate predecessor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, appears to have gained momentum with the recent arrest of some Uduaghan’s political associates by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Okungbowa Aiwerie, examines the issues surrounding the rift.
The icy relationship between the incumbent governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and his immediate predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, seems destined to endure with the arrest, last week, of some retired public servants by the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A political associate to the former governor, Chief Tony Obuh, a former permanent secretary in charge of Government House during Uduaghan’s tenure and governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the build-up to last year’s governorship election in the state, was among those that were quizzed by the anti-corruption agency.
Also quizzed were Mr. Friday Aghedo, a secretary to Obuh and Mr. Benson Oburo, Obuh’s immediate successor as Permanent Secretary of Government House, who was redeployed to the Bureau of Special Duties as soon as Okowa became governor.
There has been no love lost between Okowa and his predecessor since the race for the coveted number one seat in the state began in 2015. Reliable sources said Okowa has always nursed a grudge against Uduaghan for sponsoring the likes of Obuh and the current Commissioner for Finance, Chief David Edevbie and others against him during the 2015 PDP governorship primaries.
Okowa was said to have been particularly miffed that Uduaghan compounded his lack of support for his governorship ambition with an open campaig against him at the venue of the governorship primaries. The former governor, on his part, was said to have been irked by Okowa’s public revelation of the gory details of his administration’s financial transactions, which he felt was a deliberate attempt to discredit him.
On assuming office last year, Okowa, in an address he delivered at the Delta State House of Assembly seeking a review of the 2015 budget of the state, had called to question the previous administration’s role in the rise of the state’s debt profile to more than N600 billion.
It was learnt that the ex-governor is particularly unhappy at the manner some projects, which his administration tagged five projects, are being handled. For instance, the neglect of Delta State’s tertiary health institution Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, where expatriate staff head hunted during Uduaghan’s regime are languishing without salaries and other emoluments.
The rift between the two political gladiators may be causing disaffection in the Okowa administration as Uduaghan loyalists are said to be often shunned aside while their functions are taken over by Okowa’s loyalists. A case in point is the recent resignation threat issued by the Commissioner for Finance, Chief David Edevbie, over alleged usurpation of his duties by the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr Kingsley Emu.
It will be recalled that Kingsley Emu was sacked by ex-Governor Uduaghan from his government after he pledged allegiance to Governor Okowa in the run-up to the 2015 Delta State governorship election.
Although the Delta State Government had in a statement debunked insinuations to the effect that Governor Okowa was the brains behind the recent invasion of the state by EFCC operatives with Uduaghan and a former Speaker of the House of Assembly as the ultimate targets, not a few people remained unconvinced the government’s explanation.
The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, had said that “the publication is not only untrue and mischievous but meant to cause disaffection among peace loving Deltans.”’
He vehemently denied the insinuations that EFCC operatives invaded the state on the invitation of the Okowa government, adding that the operatives came to the state on the basis of petitions that were written against some individuals in the state and not on the invitation of the governor.
According to Ukah, “they (EFCC operatives) visited the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to get official documents that could aid them in the course of their investigations and also invited some government officials for clarifications on certain issues.”
He attributed the publication to the handiwork of mischief makers and called on Deltans not to believe its contents.
But dependable sources told The Nation that the EFCC officials who came to the state were lodged in a hotel by a top aide of Governor Okowa. The commission’s officials, who spent two days in Asaba, were stationed in the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Ovie Agas, it was gathered.
It was learnt that some former permanent secretaries who served in the Uduaghan administration and staffers of the Ministry of Science and Technology were grilled. The Nation gathered that following the two-days grilling exercise, Obuh and two other persons were arrested by EFCC operatives and whisked away to Abuja for further questioning.
Sources who craved anonymity confided that permanent secretaries in all ministries were ordered to submit all relevant government documents to the EFCC operatives.
His words: “The SSG’S office was converted to a temporary office of the EFCC for the two days. Although all the documents were first taken to our office, the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, by all the Permanent Secretaries, where some vital documents that could implicate the current administration were removed before the rest were sent to the centre.
“The team was actually brought in by the governor on a Tuesday and were lodged in a hotel. Currently, the targets are those who were used against the governor during the 2015 elections, especially those who contested against him during the PDP governorship primaries.”
The source added: “In the next few weeks, another set of the operatives of the commission will be visiting the state to invite and carry out more investigations on more persons seen as obstacles to the governor before, during and after the elections.
“In our ministry here, the governor has already directed our commissioner and we are collating documents and other papers to be forwarded to anti-corruption agencies to arrest and prosecute some officials of the immediate past administration. Government officials have been warned not to speak to any journalist on the issue.”
An official of the commission said that they were in the state on the invitation of the state government to investigate some persons, especially officials of the past administration as well as lawmakers.
He said: “For the past two days, we have been in town scrutinising relevant government documents both for contracts award and others in the conference room of the office of the Secretary to the State Government.
“Some officials of the former administration were invited and documents were tendered, which we scrutinized. We shall be back again. But for now, we are going to our Abuja office with the former permanent secretary, Government House, Asaba, Mr. Obuh, and two other persons.”
Not a few people are wondering why the relationship between the Okowa and Uduaghan has degenerated, especially when Uduaghan has been seen lately commissioning projects embarked upon by his successor in the run-up to the State’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
A PDP chieftain in the state, who spoke with our correspondent, said the two politicians have polarised the party in the state, adding that their recent public appearance was an attempt at “window-dressing”., The situation, he said, could be likened to the peace of the graveyard.
Observers believe the battle line might have been drawn as the two political juggernauts look to outwit each other in the run-up to the 2019 governorship election. | http://thenationonlineng.net/behind-okowa-uduaghans-cold-war-delta/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/9807b38e57e02ed91323d7198175f79ae024c021884ccea1b2ea878cbd6c1bec.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:48:46 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Finec-rec-returns-n20m-poll-bribe-efcc-grilling%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/INEC-logo2.jpg | en | null | INEC REC returns N20m poll bribe after EFCC grilling | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Sylvester Ezeani has refunded N20million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The cash is part of the N23.29billion bribe given to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to change the results of the 2015 election.
Three RECs have been named in the scandal. One of them is dead.
The EFCC has seized two choice shopping malls from a REC Gesil Khan.
Besides, the account of the REC with about N59million has been frozen by the anti-graft agency.
A retired INEC official, Sani Isa, was questioned for N406,206,000 bribe allegedly collected on behalf of the deceased REC in Kano State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi.
The number of INEC staff invited and questioned by the EFCC has risen to 100.
INEC is awaiting a comprehensive brief from the anti-graft agency on the affected staff, it was learnt that only President Muhammadu Buhari can determine the fate of the RECs.
Ezeani’s N20million came from the $115m(N23.29billion) which former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke is said to have provided.
A source in EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “Faced by overwhelming evidence from our team, Ezeani has refunded to the commission N20million, which was traced to him.
“About N241million was allocated to INEC when Ezeani was the REC in Cross River State during the 2015 poll.
“We are working on other INEC staff to refund the cash credited to them from the slush funds. So far, about N503million has been recovered from INEC staff and politicians involved in the poll bribery scandal in Port Harcourt Zone alone.
“We are determined to retrieve a huge chunk of the N23.29billion bribe.”
Meanwhile, the number of INEC staff quizzed by EFCC on the poll bribery cash has risen to about 100.
A source in INEC said: “At least about 100 staff of this commission have either been invited or interrogated by the EFCC as part of its ongoing investigation. T5he number could be higher than the current figure because investigation is still in progress.
“It is too early to say that these staff have been indicted or not by the EFCC. We are however awaiting a comprehensive brief from the anti-graft commission on its findings on each of the affected staff.
“Do not forget that some of them even serve as witnesses for EFCC, depending on the circumstances of their postings during the poll.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “Staff found guilty of infractions will be subjected to the civil service rules and regulations on disciplinary action.”
Another INEC source spoke on reports on some RECs but “there is nothing the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu or the management can do.
“The appointment of National Commissioners and RECs is at the behest of President Muhammadu Buhari. What INEC management can do is to forward the EFCC’s report on any REC to the President who has the powers to appoint or remove such officer.
“So, the Presudent will determine the fate of RECs implicated in the scandal if they are found culpable.”
About four oil firms, 14 directors of oil companies, two banks and 100 INEC officials, including RECs are under investigation too.
Some INEC officers already grilled are REC Gesil Khan for collecting N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe deal; Fidelia Omoile( Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)—N112,480,000 ; Uluochi Obi Brown( INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)—N111,500,000; a former Deputy Director of INEC in Cross River state, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000 and others. | http://thenationonlineng.net/inec-rec-returns-n20m-poll-bribe-efcc-grilling/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/87368a593bf5c57dd42beb384eb74ef8d4682ac0836081e462a3c84c3d4ebcf6.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:49:04 | null | 2016-08-31T10:30:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fsomalia-blast-death-toll-rises-22%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Somalia blast death toll rises to 22 | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/somalia-blast-death-toll-rises-22/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/7315dc82aff0f6a395b537bcb27584b963e045ce83f93c2cc1aeaf884f03fe9a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:53:26 | null | 2016-08-26T11:37:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fsports-necessary-to-fight-terrorism%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Chief.png | en | null | 'Sports necessary to fight terrorism' | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/sports-necessary-to-fight-terrorism/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/2a3a12b6c1dbfaf64b12eb78d6ef021e5dee8086ef50589e7430bcd44a98aa5e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:47:47 | null | 2016-08-26T15:34:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fherdsmen-attacks-ohanaeze-condemns-enugu-killings%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/fulani-herdsmen-612x300-e1450810408136.jpg | en | null | Herdsmen attacks: Ohanaeze condemns Enugu killings | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/herdsmen-attacks-ohanaeze-condemns-enugu-killings/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/ded8407b5ad2856ab67ff1c99b1127a13c3644856ac065f021e868732db7b5c6.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:47:43 | null | 2016-08-27T01:19:11 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fkogi-ministerial-slot-five-jostle-replace-ocholi%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/James-Ocholi-2.jpg | en | null | Kogi ministerial slot: Five jostle to replace Ocholi | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | No fewer than five names are being pushed for the vacant ministerial slot for Kogi State, following the death of Minister of State for Labour James Ocholi.
They are Senator Alex Khadiri and Senator Mohammed Dangana from Kogi East, Senator Mohammed Ohiare from Kogi Central, Hon. Clarence Olorunfemi and Chief Gbenga Ashagun from Kogi West.
Stakeholders from the state are intensifying their lobby to get their candidates selected, it was gathered.
Sources said President Muhammadu Buhari may name a replacement for Ocholi next month.
Pushing the case of each of the personalities are party leaders and people thought to have the ears of the Presidency.
Many party chieftains believe loyalty to the party should be key in picking the ministerial nominee.
However, a source familiar with the development said:”Unfortunately for the proponents of party loyalty, the President does not see political appointment as payback cheque for party loyalty.
“The President believes that competence rather than party loyalty should be the basis of critical appointments and he has always insisted that he is concerned about those who can perform in office rather than the length of stay in the party.” | http://thenationonlineng.net/kogi-ministerial-slot-five-jostle-replace-ocholi/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/e8dfac86997a2f8444da72f5f260ec1b81ff4756887306127936f527e8176e84.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:46:16 | null | 2016-08-29T17:13:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fwhy-bauchi-govt-sacked-ait%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/BAUCHI.jpg | en | null | 'Why Bauchi govt sacked AIT' | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Bauchi state Gov.Mohammed Abubakar has thrown more light on the revocation of Certificate of Occupancy on a land being occupied by African Independence Television (AIT) in Bauchi. He said the revocation is not political, but to take back what belongs to Bauchi people.
He told journalists who accompanied Bauchi chairman, by Nigeria Union of Journalists’ council, Dahiru Mohammed Garba at Government House, Bauchi that his government has no intention to shut down operations of AIT and RayPower Radio stations owned by Daar Communications Plc in Bauchi state.
The Govrnor, who also spoke on other issues, added “the fact of the matter is that I have not closed down AIT, I’m only taking back what belongs to Bauchi state”.
It could be recalled that the immediate past regime of Gov. Isa Yuguda had given the Bauchi Radio Corporation premises built during Nigeria’s second Republic to Daar Communications, along with a Certificate of Occupancy.(Cof O).
The land located on the outskirt of the state capital, houses broadcasting equipment, utility buildings, mast and other facilities were built and handed to then a Bauchi Broadcasting Corporation in December 31, 1983.
The revocation of right of occupancy is sequel to a report of Public Assets Recovery Committee set up by his government to recover public assets illegally carted away by operators of last administration in the state.
He, however, offered that the state government is willing to negotiate with DAAR Communication and agree on parameters under which AIT and Ray power stations will continue to operate the Tv and Radio stations.
His words, “we will cost our property, give it a commercial value, and if Daar Communications is willing and ready it can buy off so that we could put the money in government coffers for development”.
“In the alternative, if Daar Communications prefers to pay rent, the commercial rent will be determined so that DAAR will continue to pay rent, either monthly or annually”, he explained.
“This is the true situation of the matter at stake which, I observed, critics of the government are giving it different connotations to satisfy their whims and caprices, and this is being compounded by the media for not getting the facts of the matter”.
“Of course, most times, people prefer to listen to detractors more than the government and do not even cross-check their facts before going to press”.
“It is, therefore important for media practitioners to cross-check their facts to properly inform the public on issues to people”.
Abubakar also expressed concern over the wrong information making the wrongs on the television and radio stations, which he noted that their presence in the state is a welcome development.
But agreed that “two wrongs don’t make a right, we have promised that we will correct the wrongs and it is in our bid to correct these wrongs that this action has been taken. So the issue of AIT and Ray power has not been foreclosed”.
Abubakar, also reminded media practitioners of their role and enjoined them to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, and not to engage in partisan politics while offering their service.
Earlier, the Bauchi NUJ Chairman, Dahiru had expressed worry over the government’s withdrawal of the certificate of occupation of the land housing Daar communications and directive to vacate the premises within two weeks for public interest.
Mohammed appealed to the state government to reconsider its decision with a conviction that it is also in public interest to encourage the development of a responsible, pluralistic and vibrant media as bastion of democracy that Daar communication operates. | http://thenationonlineng.net/why-bauchi-govt-sacked-ait/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/f5e76c383fee29ebd00eca5619b7221442fafcfeb12895030fc0350e492b7ef5.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T20:12:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fkenya-defends-dissolution-olympic-committee%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Kenya defends dissolution of Olympic committee | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/kenya-defends-dissolution-olympic-committee/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/a633088f1877bc20550273072efbc9d11ef9fbb683bfc03d7cbf65420f3d0863.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:46:15 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:25 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fvenezuela-lessons-nigeria%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Venezuela: What lessons for Nigeria? | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | SIR: Describing the stark reality of economic challenges presently facing Venezuela – the once richest nation in Latin America, the governor of Miranda state, Henrique Capriles told TIME magazine published in its August 22, edition “It is like there had been a natural disaster, like a hurricane which swept things away…, I fear there will be an explosion in Venezuela, and it will finish collapsing.”
Venezuela is sitting on 18% of the world’s proven oil reserves which translates to 25% of OPEC share, adding up to nearly 300 billion barrels while Nigeria has 37 billion barrels (3% of OPEC share). According to the recent OPEC data in the second quarter of 2016, Nigeria crude oil production was 1,539,000 b/d for a population of 182 million ( 2015 World Bank data) while Venezuela produced 2,166, 000 b/d for 31 million people.
The situation in Venezuela is so pathetic that in Carcass, the nation’s capital, citizens are queuing up for miles waiting for food and other basic personal needs like shampoo which will be rationalized by the designated stores based on their stocks.
Naira has fallen from N197/$1 to about N400/$1 but bolivar, Venezuela’s currency has practically collapsed. Though its official base rate is 10 bolivars to the dollar, the bolivar now trades on the street at more than 1,000. Paying for a dinner now requires a gym bag or at least a backpack full of cash. Inflation rate in Nigeria is presently 16.48% while in Venezuela it ended at 180.9% in 2015 and projected by IMF to reach about 500% by the end of 2016.
But why do we need to compare Nigeria and Venezuela? There are some commonalities between the two nations. One, for many years both Nigeria and Venezuela have remained mono-product economies almost exclusively relying on the export of oil. Two, the two nations are among the most corrupt nations in the world according to the corruption perceptions index 2015 of the Transparency International in which 168 countries and territories were evaluated. Nigeria ranked 136 scoring 26 of 100 points while Venezuela got 150th position with a score of just 17.
If Venezuela, a country of higher ratio of oil production to population relative to Nigeria can find itself in such an economic mess, then Nigeria should know that a mono-product economy is not sustainable. Nigeria has 84 million hectares arable land out of which only 32 million hectares is cultivated. This is a big advantage over major oil producers like Saudi Arabia which has 1.4 million hectares, Iran 46 million hectares and Angola 59 million hectares. A huge investment in agriculture would be a strategic government stimulus to the nation’s economy.
To my countrymen in the oil producing states of the Niger Delta, militancy and other accompanying criminalities cannot in reality bring solutions to the problems of the region. After successful diversification and oil exploration from other parts of the country (which has already commenced in Lagos and also hope to start before the end of 2016 in the North), the nation’s reliance on oil from Niger Delta will reduce. But unfortunately the effects of the environmental degradation and pollution as a result of pipeline vandalism occasioned by the militancy will persist for many more years.
Sa’eed Abdus-Salam,
[email protected] | http://thenationonlineng.net/venezuela-lessons-nigeria/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/78f3e412a26f2505b64e52571ef01e4def103820564b0c57e995d0420176e96b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:53:54 | null | 2016-08-26T11:48:02 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcaliisthenics-displays-in-osun-at-25%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Caliisthenics-5.jpg | en | null | Photos: Caliisthenics displays in Osun at 25 | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/caliisthenics-displays-in-osun-at-25/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/77109178611e8dade5d8afbe598079a3940563ea5473838ac0a16c95e66d0372.json |
[
"Las Ugoh"
] | 2016-08-29T06:46:08 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbrother-seeks-justice-sister-assaulted-indian-employer%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/o.jpg | en | null | Brother seeks justice for sister ‘assaulted’ by Indian employer | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | A man, who claimed his younger sister, Faith Nwaneri, was allegedly assaulted by her Indian employer in Lagos, has cried out for justice.
The man, Ignatius Chukwuka, alleged that the Indian, Jay Keswani, one of the Aswani Brothers, hit his sister with a briefcase on August 12 at his Benefista Tower, Banana Island residence and she fainted.
Chukwuka said his sister was Personal Assistant (PA) to the Indian’s wife and worked Fridays to Wednesday, with Thursdays being observed as her day off.
He said Nwaneri was delayed at the gate that morning because she didn’t have the gate pass and had begged her way through in the last eight months, since her employers were yet to provide one for her.
Chukwuka claimed that when she eventually got into the residence, the man’s wife queried her for coming late and she explained that she was delayed at the gate for lack of pass.
Angered by her explanation, the woman was said to have confronted her husband, who then asked the young lady to give him the form he gave her to fill to commence the process.
Afraid that the Indian will tear the form like he usually did and fire her, Nwaneri, according to her brother, lied to him that she has submitted it, adding that she was just waiting for him to give her the money to process it.
“But when he insisted that he would follow my sister to the gate to collect the form at all cost, my sister seeing the anger in him quickly told him that she was still with the form and was waiting for him to give her the money so she could submit it for processing.
“He got furious that she lied to him and hit her with his briefcase. My sister fainted. At first, he thought it was a joke and hit her with his leg but when he pulled her over and noticed pool of blood, he quickly called his wife and they started pouring water on her head.
“At last, they revived her, left her at their apartment on the 19th Floor and they left for the office. After my sister regained consciousness, she struggled through the back staircase to the basement, where a Good Samaritan, helped her to Falomo Police Station, from there she was referred to Falomo Hospital, for treatment. There, my sister called me to come over and I paid the bills, then I took her home.
“When I contacted Mr Jay Keswani, to find out what would make an elderly man like him hit a lady, young enough to be his daughter and got her injured, he (Keswani ) claimed it’s an accident.
“The police at Falomo tried to invite him, but were refused entry into the island to serve him a letter of invitation. Security men at the tower claimed they were acting on instructions not to collect the invitation letter from the policeman who came to deliver the letter.
“The security men there at Benefista Tower also told us that they will do everything to silent the case, as they claimed it’s their responsibility to protect their clients as assigned. Since then, Keswani has been walking freely with no action taken against him.
“All efforts to reach him to resolve this matter by our lawyer proved abortive, as he has bluntly refused to comply.
“My question is what will prompt Keswani to hit a woman like that and claim it was an accident? If she had died in his apartment, perhaps, Keswani would have covered up this case, and had my sister thrown into the lagoon.
“Our lawyer wrote him for settlement and payment of compensation within seven days which ended yesterday (Saturday), but till now, there’s no response from him. It shows that this man has no regards for rule of law and Nigerian citizens,” he said. | http://thenationonlineng.net/brother-seeks-justice-sister-assaulted-indian-employer/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/831ce247e85a22a5dd4b9e2b5fd027f62e5cb458509c9922a7d677d0ba9a3e64.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:19 | null | 2016-08-26T15:59:24 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ffrench-court-suspends-burkini-ban%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | French court suspends 'burkini' ban | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/french-court-suspends-burkini-ban/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/36bc17274eab0cd3cb0a501f98f3004c4fdbad46a551bd1567979b1ffddf4d1e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:48:55 | null | 2016-08-30T09:57:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frohr-checks-eagles-fitness-akwa-united-game%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Gernot-Rohr-1.jpg | en | null | Rohr checks Eagles fitness with Akwa United game | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/rohr-checks-eagles-fitness-akwa-united-game/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/7c3a25b45badf48e5044d490b464d332017822583d62d36f28569549e09682d3.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:46:17 | null | 2016-08-29T16:11:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fthe-raw-story-of-ngozi-the-lady-that-got-rid-of-fibroids-without-surgery%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/d-1.jpg | en | null | The Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Raw Story of Ngozi! The Lady that Got Rid of Fibroids Without Surgery
4:11 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/the-raw-story-of-ngozi-the-lady-that-got-rid-of-fibroids-without-surgery/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/f54b96d2cf02f11cef6e95ad4c217ee674eeab297eb7f45ddc08888af87cdcda.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:48:34 | null | 2016-08-28T17:04:36 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ftiff-ranking-aruna-to-lead-nigerian-players-rise%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | TIFF Ranking:Quadri to lead Nigerian players | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Ease of doing business: Nigeria will be top 100 countries by 2019, says Buhari
2:57 pm | http://thenationonlineng.net/tiff-ranking-aruna-to-lead-nigerian-players-rise/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/680cf9d7c91520d3fac31d1ed0dd8356fba2ad7af73b99a832630c546ec3404d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:48:44 | null | 2016-08-29T13:07:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fprominent-lawyer-assassinated-rivers%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Prominent lawyer assassinated in Rivers | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/prominent-lawyer-assassinated-rivers/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/8881d6c618b0a71f0f6a9e557fa88c2fef48b049f3f554f590c93c0ecbc57ff1.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:48:36 | null | 2016-08-29T00:10:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fbuhari-agrees-swap-girls-boko-haram-detainees%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BUHARI-e1463255237116.jpg | en | null | Buhari agrees to swap girls for Boko Haram detainees | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | President to insurgents: pick NGO as mediator
‘We’re for talks with Niger Delta militants’
The Federal Government will dialogue with bonafide leaders of Boko Haram to bring back the abducted Chibok girls, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
The “degraded” sect recently made an overture to the government for a swap of some of the girls with its detained fighters, in a video posted on Youtube.
In the video, the sect claimed that some of the girls had been married off and others killed in air raids. Following the release of the video, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaigners renewed their pressure on the government to push for the girls’ release.
It accused the Federal Government of lack of commitment and sincerity towards finding the girls. The group vowed to march on the Presidential Villa every 72 hours.
In an interview with reporters on the sideline of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in Nairobi, Kenya at the weekend, President Buhari said the government was ready to dialogue with bonafide leaders of the group who know the whereabouts of the girls.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted Buhari as saying: ‘‘I have made a couple of comments on the Chibok girls and it seems to me that much of it has been politicised.
‘‘What we said is that the government which I preside over is prepared to talk to bonafide leaders of Boko Haram.
‘‘If they do not want to talk to us directly, let them pick an internationally recognised Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), convince them that they are holding the girls and that they want Nigeria to release a number of Boko Haram leaders in detention, which they are supposed to know.
‘‘If they do it through the ‘modified leadership’ of Boko Haram and they talk with an internationally recognised NGO, then Nigeria will be prepared to discuss for their release,’’ he said.
Buhari however warned that the Federal Government will not waste time and resources with “doubtful sources’’ claiming to know the whereabouts of the girls.
‘‘We want those girls out and safe. The faster we can recover them and hand them over to their parents, the better for us.’’ he added
The President maintained that the terror group, which pledged allegiance to ISIS, had been largely decimated by the gallant Nigerian military with the support of neighbours from Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin.
He said: ‘‘Some of the information about the division in Boko Haram is already in the press and I have read in the papers about the conflict in their leadership.
‘‘The person known in Nigeria as their leader, we understand was edged out and the Nigerian members of Boko Haram started turning themselves to the Nigerian military.
‘‘We learnt that in an air strike by the Nigeria Air Force he was wounded. Indeed their top hierarchy and lower cadre have a problem and we know this because when we came into power, they were holding 14 out of the 774 local governments in Nigeria. But now they are not holding any territory and they have split to small groups attacking soft targets.”
On the militancy in the Niger Delta, the President said the Federal Government was open to dialogue to resolve all contending issues in the area.
‘‘We do not believe that they (the militants) have announced ceasefire. We are trying to understand them more. Who are their leaders and which areas do they operate and other relevant issues,’’ he said. | http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-agrees-swap-girls-boko-haram-detainees/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/69456e57a5ef0a53b038713c805105032ead4deb2cdb9c20030b047df70393ff.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:09 | null | 2016-08-26T17:09:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Flagos-prophet-arraigned-false-information%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Lagos prophet arraigned over 'false information' | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/lagos-prophet-arraigned-false-information/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/293de2d1b1a4a1c43005f7ccf82316d55abffb2bf408c84903b7fa1dddf6274f.json |
[
"Common Naija"
] | 2016-08-27T06:45:49 | null | 2016-08-27T01:11:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fdangote-rice-hits-market-soon%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dangote-e1445712404611.jpg | en | null | Dangote Rice hits market soon | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The much expected Dangote Rice is billed to hit the market very soon as the management has commenced the harvest of its first tranche.
Sources within the organisation said Aliko Dangote has been very happy with the news of the harvest, especially as it will be launched in the right time to ease the pains of Nigerians, who currently buy rice at N20, 000 per bag.
“We are really excited about the progress so far recorded in this our rice projects. Once we commence the sales of our rice, I can authoritatively tell you that the price of rice will crash in the country as we should have enough, in the next few years to make importation of rice non-attractive again into the country” the source said.
Earlier in the year, Dangote inaugurated its 8,000-hectare Rice Out-growers’ Scheme in Hadejia, Jigawa State, with the distribution of rice seedlings to farmers.
According to a statement by the group, the scheme, which is part of its partnership with government at all levels to reduce Nigeria’s food imports, has the potential to provide 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
It said the rice project being executed by the Dangote Rice Limited would be replicated in six other states of the federation.
It said the project was the fallout of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Dangote and the Federal Government, on the one hand, and the Jigawa State Government on the other.
Dangote lamented that the Nigerian agricultural commodities and food imports’ bill had averaged over N1tn in the past two years, with items such as sugar, wheat, rice and fish accounting for 93 per cent of the amount.
He described the situation as unacceptable, adding that this informed his decision to go into agriculture
According to him, under the Dangote Rice Out-growers Scheme, farmers will be given training and other necessary inputs with guaranteed buy-back at agreed prices.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was quoted as saying that the Federal Government was ready to support the scheme and make it a success.
It would be recalled that Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to invest $1 Billion (N165 million) for the establishment of fully integrated rice production and processing operations across Nigeria. Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan presided over the signing of the MoU then.
The company has acquired farmland in Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states totalling 150,000 hectares to be used for the commercial production of rice paddy. Dangote has also established a two state-of-the-art large-scale rice mills each with a capacity to mill 120,000 metric tons of rice paddy, bringing total capacity to 240,000 Metric Tons, with plans to double capacity this within two years. With this installed capacity, the project will become the largest integrated rice mill project in Africa. | http://thenationonlineng.net/dangote-rice-hits-market-soon/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/3eb46e9cdd7e211f83b215bebfff92c89ecc7e5bd578b65e58d47f1dd3803991.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:47:28 | null | 2016-08-26T14:42:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fnlc-demands-prosecution-ghost-workers%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | NLC demands prosecution of ghost workers | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”
9:41 am | http://thenationonlineng.net/nlc-demands-prosecution-ghost-workers/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/91b36e7f103591b172e3e9cc33fd74c00bd87d4caef0d5300a0a739550d24922.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:48:56 | null | 2016-08-30T10:02:11 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fblast-hits-chinese-embassy-kyrgyzstan%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Blast hits Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | A car driven by a suicide bomber has exploded after ramming the gates of the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, officials say.
The suicide bomber died and three embassy employees, all Kyrgyz nationals, were injured, Deputy Prime Minister Zhenish Razakov said.
Social media footage showed smoke billowing above the building.
China’s foreign ministry condemned the incident as an “extreme and violent attack” and urged Kyrgyz authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
No-one has yet said they were behind the attack, the BBC reports.
The vehicle reportedly smashed through the gates and exploded in the centre of the compound, close to the ambassador’s residence.
“As a result of the explosion, only the suicide bomber died. Security guards were injured,” Mr Razakov told journalists. | http://thenationonlineng.net/blast-hits-chinese-embassy-kyrgyzstan/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/6970da539b21208f1e7318f620fe9c5b9174292edb8d7b937b668b2b5c3db595.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:49:06 | null | 2016-08-31T12:49:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Folympic-tennis-quadri-set-another-world-record%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Olympic tennis: Quadri to set another world record | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/olympic-tennis-quadri-set-another-world-record/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/df7c0b731fd59c7e13b64ddbbe7da0038dc61e4c9078c11e3028e0743b680afb.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:46:24 | null | 2016-08-30T00:03:52 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fshabby-olympic-outing%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/OLYMPICS.jpg | en | null | A shabby Olympic outing | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | •Heads ought to roll for this dismal performance
But for the bronze medal that the nation’s under-23 soccer squad – the so-called Dream Team – brought home, Nigeria’s representation at the just-concluded XXXl Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, would have been an unrelieved disaster.
The glory of the Olympics once lay in participation, not in winning. But that was in ancient Greece, its birthplace. To be sure, qualifying for the Olympics is a major achievement, but neither the competitors nor the countries they represent now regard mere participation as a distinction.
Winning is the measure of distinction, with the gold medal signifying the highest athletic accomplishment. It is also a way through which nations project what has been called “soft power,” the power deriving from their way of life, their value systems, their institutions and, in general, from their culture.
Nigeria’s policy-makers appear not to see competitive international sport, of which the Olympics is the highest manifestation, in this larger context. That is why, year after year, they enter sporting competitions woefully unprepared, trusting that an abundance of team talent and good luck will see them through. Even where the national team won the ultimate trophy, it was due more to superior skills than to superior motivation or superior organisation and logistic support, all of which were lacking in the run-up to and the Olympics.
The contingent of 74 competitors left Nigeria for Rio without the outfit for the march past. For the parade seen around the world, it had to don the outfit from the previous Olympics held in Beijing, China. The soccer team was stranded for days in Atlanta, and arrived in Rio just seven hours before its first match. Some athletes made their way to Rio on their own, without any support from the sports authorities back home.
The soccer team had to threaten to boycott a crucial match against Denmark before the players were paid their earned bonuses when, in all probability, the officials had collected their allowances to the last dollar before leaving Nigeria.
Samson Siasia, the team’s coach, announced his resignation over the weekend. He had not been paid for five months. He said he had had enough of disrespect from officials. Stephen Keshi, the late and much-lamented coach of the nation’s premier soccer team, the Super Eagles, had suffered the same shabby treatment.
This ham-handedness gravely undermines Nigeria’s image and its competitiveness in international sport.
The Games of the XXXI Olympiad were not conjured up overnight. The planning was meticulous, and nothing was left to chance. The Nigerian Olympic Committee participated in the planning. The schedule was released in detail several years ahead of the event. The National Sports Commission was fully aware that Nigeria would enter the competition, and cognisant of the financial and other implications. But rarely has Nigeria witnessed a failure of mobilisation and a failure of preparedness on the Rio 2016 scale in its sporting history.
Officials charged with the administration of sport failed the Olympic contingent in a primary sense, and the nation in a larger sense, given the place that sport has come to occupy in the way countries are perceived. They betrayed Nigeria’s respectable record in previous Olympiads in track and field, soccer, boxing, and weight lifting.
This shameful outing demands a shake-up in the sports ministry, the National Sports Commission, the Nigerian Athletic Federation, and the Nigerian Olympics Committee.
As the senior political official under whose watch the Rio fiasco occurred, the Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung, should without further delay submit his resignation to the President, failing which the President should dismiss him. Other officials directly responsible for Nigeria’s miserable showing in Rio 2016 should also be made to face the consequences of their dereliction.
The XXXl Olympiad will be staged four years hence, in Tokyo, Japan. Considering what it takes to scout for athletes of great promise, recruit, train and motivate them for competition on the world stage, the event is almost upon us. If the derelictions that marked and marred Nigeria’s participation in the Rio 2016 are not to be repeated, the time to start preparing for Tokyo 2020 is now, today. | http://thenationonlineng.net/shabby-olympic-outing/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/cfdd0b2aa5b38e5934e9f3f7cd731fbcf0c02f4ee68c23faaec1cce9f5ea6a34.json |
[
"Cheta God",
"Demola Onitiju"
] | 2016-08-30T16:46:25 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fworld-watching-nigerias-near-implosion%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | World is watching Nigeria’s near-implosion | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Under British rule, Nigeria did not begin to be one country until the British colonial rulers unified it with a federal constitution in 1949-51. From that moment on, the makers of Nigeria began to make the mistakes that have now led Nigeria to unmanageable disharmony – disharmony that has now brought Nigeria close to breaking up.
The makers of the 1949 federal constitution recognized that Nigeria was a country of hundreds of diverse nations. But in the making of the federal constitution, they chose to accord recognition and respect to only the three largest nations – the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo. There was no thought of respect for the smaller nations; all of them in each of the three regions were supposed to accept to exist happily under the large and dominant nation of their region. Naturally, the small nations in each region protested loudly and demanded a separate composite region of their own. The leaders and government of the Western Region stepped forth and supported the demands of the small nations of each region – including even the small nations of the Western Region. But, even after the British rulers were forced to set up a commission to investigate these demands and the commission had recommended that the British should grant them, the British chose to reject them.
It was in the context of these historical happenings that Nigeria went astray in the management of its diversity. In the first place, it was gradually made to look as if seeking the interest of one’s particular nation in Nigeria was a backward looking stance, an attack on the unity of Nigeria. This got so bad that a Nigerian could not even say that Nigeria was made up of different peoples, without being called a “tribalist” – without being stigmatized a “Pakhistanist”.
The foundation of it all was a woolly-headed superficiality – a refusal to look at facts, or a deliberate rejection of obvious and inescapable facts. Our country is a country of very many peoples or nations, some large, some small. That is the fact. That fact does not presuppose that we cannot build our country into a harmonious and prosperous country. Sure, we can. Sure we could have done it if we had cool-headedly accepted the fact of our country as a country of many nations, and proceeded from that point to find ways to make our country a land of equitable opportunities for all its many nations, large and small, and all its millions of citizens.
None of us needs to turn down his or her own nation, or to play down its interests, or to reject its unique heritage and ways, in order to be seen to be contributing to the unity of Nigeria or the building of Nigeria. Building Nigeria does not demand that from any of us. But unfortunately, many Nigerians have quietly and timorously bought into the pernicious frame of mind which says that being “educated”, being “sophisticated”, being “broad-minded”, means that they must subdue any show of interest in the particular interests of their own nation. For such people, being “detribalized” (as it is called) is a virtue. And any Nigerian who shows concern about his own nation’s experiences in Nigeria becomes suspect – becomes “un-Nigerian”.
By and by, those sections of Nigeria that desired to dominate the rest of Nigeria, and those who wanted Nigeria moulded according to the military command culture to which they are accustomed as soldiers, have succeeded in developing this rejection of Nigeria’s nations into an ideology for the building of a “united Nigeria”. The section of Nigeria that came to believe that it was its right to dominate Nigeria was the Arewa North – the Hausa-Fulani political elite of the Arewa North who happened to be the first controllers of the Federal Government at independence. Their quest for such domination generated serious conflicts in the political process, and these ultimately pushed Nigeria into an era of military regimes. And the military regimes, accustomed only to military command systems, proceeded to organize Nigeria as a country controlled only by the Federal Government. Since most of the military dictators since mid-1966 have been northerners, the excessive centralization wrought by the military regimes has enhanced northern success at domination, and therefore enjoys resolute northern support.
Thus the Arewa North elite and the military have collaborated to foist an excessive centralism, and a mainstream ideology, on the making of the Nigerian federation, with the result that what we now have is not a federation but a unitary system. The coming of large revenues from petroleum in the years after 1970 put enormous economic power in the hands of the federal government, seemed to make full federal control of Nigeria achievable, and greatly increased the domination ambitions of those in control of the federal government. The final legal formulation of the system was effected in the making of the 1999 Constitution – a constitution which the Arewa North intellectual champions of the mainstream ideology wrote for the military regime of 1998, and which has since been touted as a constitution written by “the people of Nigeria” for the “people of Nigeria”.
When a Yoruba citizen, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired military officer turned civilian politician, was elected civilian president in 1999, there was hope that he would bring into the governance of Nigeria the typical and well-known Yoruba ideology concerning Nigeria. The Yoruba ideology proposes that since Nigeria comprises many diverse nations, each nation deserves to be respected in the context of Nigeria, and deserves to be allowed some autonomy to manage its unique concerns and desires in the context of Nigeria. Yoruba leaders (in Egbe Omo Oduduwa) first wrote the basic outline of this in 1949 as a proposal for the British colonial rulers to use in organizing Nigeria. Thereafter, succeeding generations of Yoruba leaders have restated this ideology over and over for the proper and harmonious structure of Nigeria. By the time of the Obasanjo presidency, it had become essentially a unifying Yoruba position concerning the proper and stable governance of Nigeria. Hope that Obasanjo would follow this Yoruba ideology was heightened by the fact that he had written a book in 1998 (The Animal Called Man) in which he had advocated that the Nigerian constitution should include clauses stating the rights of Nigerian’s nations to secede from Nigeria and spelling out the processes towards peaceful secession.
But as president, Obasanjo veered completely away from his Yoruba political heritage and energetically pursued the centralizing and mainstream ideology of other people, with serious efforts to subdue Nigerian nations (including his own Yoruba nation) to federal control. Unhappily, President Jonathan too, another president from another region that has always resisted excessive federal power, simply followed Obasanjo’s centralizing example. Even when Jonathan finally yielded to pressures to call a National Conference to review the structure of the Nigerian federation, it was obvious that his heart was not in the exercise, and that his real expectation was that his calling of the National Conference would boost his re-election chances. Obasanjo and Jonathan have thus demonstrated that it is almost impossible for any Nigerian president to accept federal loss of the control over all the power, all the money, and all the resources now controlled by the federal government.
With President Buhari, a retired general from Arewa North now serving as Nigeria’s president, we should not be shocked by what we are seeing. He has said that he has no business with restructuring; and that he has “not bothered to read” the 2014 National Conference Report, but that he has simply tossed it into the archives.
The only pity is that Nigeria has now absolutely reached the point of decision – either to restructure its federation or buy harmony and stability, or to refuse to restructure and thereby face implosion and break up. Conquering and subduing Nigeria’s peoples in order to keep Nigeria as one country, though attractive to those who control power over Nigeria, is no longer a viable choice. President Buhari says that he is exercising restraint over the use of military force for ending revolt in a part of Nigeria, and that is a good thing – but that is far from being good enough. The world is watching. | http://thenationonlineng.net/world-watching-nigerias-near-implosion/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/3820be0dc811ae6382a8158ca00b4631ea8bb477423d290998f18dc962d9e7d3.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:49:00 | null | 2016-08-30T18:42:38 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ffg-tackle-food-security-via-technology%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ogbonnaya-Onu.jpg | en | null | FG to tackle food security via technology | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | null | http://thenationonlineng.net/fg-tackle-food-security-via-technology/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/8fef72814f9af16d5f894ff97ffdd0c10d74b2b07a694a8e1ec5b4612d3b4806.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:48:28 | null | 2016-08-28T00:03:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ffr-mbakas-religious-political-amalgam%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/fr.-mbaka.jpg | en | null | Fr. Mbaka’s religious and political amalgam | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | CATHOLIC priest and founder of the Enugu-based Adoration Ministry, Ejike Mbaka, has remained undaunted in his fiery engagements with people of power despite the dreadful unease he causes the Catholic Church. His latest outburst suggesting that plans were being hatched by some shadowy persons to assassinate President Muhammadu Buhari is certain to bring grief to his superiors in the church. A few days ago while ministering, Fr. Mbaka had declared that opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war were determined to bring the campaign to a halt by getting rid of the president. He gave no substantiation other than to say heaven revealed the plot to him.
Hear the outspoken priest: “So I want to tell you that so far, God is happy with Buhari. And him whom God has blessed, may you not try to curse, because God will curse you…Many people are planning, as it is revealed, to kill him. There are many plans on how to eliminate him so that corruption will continue, so that quantum embezzlement will continue…But the Lord says ‘God who put you there will not forsake you. Be firm, be resolute, remain focused, and be unbiased. Refuse to be intimidated and refuse to be distracted. Go ahead and war against evil. President Buhari, go ahead and war against corruption. President Buhari, God and his people are behind you, you are the answer to the prayers of the people. Amen.’”
It is not clear where God’s word stopped, and where that of Fr. Mbaka began. But the priest’s fulsome support for President Buhari predates last year’s presidential election. Happily for the priest, his love for Buhari has been amply requited. Last December, many months after assuming office, President Buhari hosted the priest in Aso Villa and eulogised his courage and faithfulness in ministry. The priest beamed. But an evidently distressed and alarmed Catholic Church thereafter transferred him to Emene, a suburb of Enugu, having stayed more than a decade at Christ the King Parish, GRA, Enugu. His new place of posting, Our Lady Parish, is much smaller. Fr. Ejike immediately concluded that his transfer was punitive because he spoke the truth to power and denied former president Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, support. He added very colourfully and even poetically that given the smallness of the Emene parish, it was apparent he was destined to suffer, without a place to lay his head or place the assets of the Adoration Ministry which he founded and nurtured to host thousands of Catholic faithful regularly.
Since he repudiated Dr Jonathan in January 2015 by calling on the electorate to reject the then president and instead embrace Gen Buhari, Fr. Mbaka has sustained his love, admiration and support for President Buhari, a support that has intensified and become amplified since the presidential election of 2015. Indeed, the priest argues passionately that President Buhari is the answer to the people’s and Catholic Church’s prayers concerning the election of a leader who would fight corruption. It was not surprising that this kind of unalloyed support would elicit equal adulation from the president who last July congratulated the priest on his 21 years in ministry and 10 years of the Adoration Ministry.
However, increasingly, many Christians are becoming a little wary of both Fr. Mbaka’s fulsome praise of President Buhari and his fulminations against the president’s enemies and everyone who shows any reservations about his style. In fact, the Catholic Church appears greatly saddened by what they see as Fr. Mbaka’s politicisation of religion. His transfer to Our Lady Parish, they suggested last February through their spokesman, Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu, was routine, overdue and definitely not punitive. Priests, the spokesman continues, are meant to serve anywhere without grumbling and with humility, while posting of church functionaries has always remained the exclusive preserve of the bishop. Fr. Mbaka, he adds, had indeed overstayed at Christ the King Parish. His new posting, the spokesman concludes, should even give him time for his Adoration Ministry which is a private, not church, ministry.
Neither Fr. Mbaka nor his supporters, who are in their thousands, nor yet his financiers, one of whom announced a N100m donation to the Adoration Ministry a few days ago, are persuaded that the transfer was routine. They encourage him to stand strong and defiant, and ask him to continue what they describe as his prophetic ministry. Fr. Mbaka himself has revelled in predicting things and is determined to give his followers and converts many of the spiritual offerings they have come to depend on and expect. He knows he has caused a lot of distress to the church and his superiors in particular, but he sees his loyalty to God as priority, and to his supervisors only secondarily. In the foreseeable future, he will, therefore, sustain his outspokenness, keep the tap flowing on his prophetic offering, and exercise defiance whenever the occasion demands it.
While his supervisors eye him warily and squirm as he jauntily darts crosses the boundaries between prophetic ministry and political ministry, they will be even more at a loss what to do with him. To keep him is becoming to them an almost sheer impossibility; but to dispense with him entirely, assuming church rules make it expedient and easy, is even more challenging. Should they hope he would make an ass of himself one day with a spectacularly misplaced prophecy, they would still worry that the collateral damage to the church could be unbearable. When mega churches such as the Catholic Church deal with an unorthodox and possibly obstreperous priest, they find themselves caught between the rock and a hard place. They will of course recall with anguish the famous case of Martin Luther, the German-born Christian reformer. They will also not be unmindful of the fact that Fr. Mbaka seems to retain a lot of respect in and out of the Catholic Church.
That respect may, however, begin to fade soon as Fr. Mbaka haughtily transcends the divide between religion and politics. He has belaboured Igbo irredentists in terms that are unexampled and unflattering, even describing them as evil and illogical. The various irredentist groups in the Southeast have responded in kind, advising him to drop his cassock and play full-time politics if he has the courage and the conviction. The more he abandons federal politics, which he fulminated against so popularly and effectively under Dr Jonathan, for local politics, a strange and unfamiliar ground to him, he could get ensnared. Even heavyweight Igbo politicians have been careful not to directly and irreverently oppose either the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) or the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). Fr. Mbaka has shown no such sensitivity or even discipline.
More, the priest could soon get into trouble with the wider public as he starts to allude to factors and sentiments that are either illusory or indefensible. Fr. Mbaka got away with murder, so to speak, when he assailed a deeply unpopular Dr Jonathan in the run-up to the last general elections. It is not clear that his fawning sentiments about President Buhari will continue to resonate as clearly and richly as he hopes and presumes. Will he recant sometime soon when that epiphany hits him? In March last year when he alleged that the Goodluck Jonathan family was after his life, the former president and his wife simply hissed and moved on. The First Family recalled that he had fawned over them in their early days in office, almost as if he was after certain patronage, according to their surmise. So when he began to rail against them, they first tried to blackmail him by releasing video recordings of how he praised the First Family. When that failed to unnerve the faithful who thronged his ministry grounds, the president and his wife simply ignored him.
Fr. Mbaka will be sensible an sensitive enough to know he cannot play ducks and drakes with the affections of the mercurial President Buhari. The president has a reputation for not taking prisoners; but in addition, he has enough agencies and aides who do not balk at using state power in seemingly transparent manner to disembowel any upstart or critic, no matter how highly placed, or of whatever colour or religion. Fr. Mbaka is sucking up to the Buhari presidency now. He had better stand pat, for if the Nigerian cultural standard is anything to go by, he may be incapable of living or ministering above suspicion to escape the arm-twisting the Buhari government is becoming famous for.
But above all, the Catholic Church cannot because of the fear of consequences continue to indulge Fr. Mbaka’s crass politicking. They should rein in their priest as they know how best to do in line with experience garnered from centuries of interaction with difficult political situations and upheavals. Priests have a voice in any social and political environment, especially as the Catholic Church knows in terms of the so-called liberation theology. And they can express those opinions brilliantly and within the context of the scriptures. But open and unadulterated partisanship is another thing entirely. If Fr. Mbaka will not caution himself, and the state is too intoxicated by his panegyrics to ask him who is planning to assassinate the president, the church should step in and do what is necessary to restore normality and decency. | http://thenationonlineng.net/fr-mbakas-religious-political-amalgam/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/2e52341bab4e48c9a104985e0575f7708635c3d7600bca8f4b97eb1c6de1909a.json |
[
"Dr. Jegede",
"Ajibade Ebenezer"
] | 2016-08-29T10:46:11 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Ffed-govt-destroys-15-containers-fish-lagos%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/themes/thenationonlineng/images/default-img-big.png | en | null | Fed Govt destroys 15 containers of fish in Lagos | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) has destroyed 15 containers of unwholesome frozen fish in Lagos.
The fish, destroyed at the weekend, allegedly belonging to a company, named Food Solution Nigeria Limited.
The containers were evacuated by FDF from Sifax Off-Dock Terminal at Trinity, on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, to prevent the unwholesome fish from getting to the market.
FDF ‘s Deputy Director Mrs. Olabisi Adepegba said a Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which shipped the containers into the country, would pay for the cost of destruction.
She said of the company’s frozen fish-filled containers, 15 were laden with spoilt fish.
The evacuated containers were taken to Lagos State Waste Management Authority’s dumpsite at Epe, where the products were destroyed, after which a destruction certificate was issued to the shipping company and a copy to FDF for record purposes.
She said the task of clearing and destroying the containers took some time because those involved were reluctant to bear the cost of evacuating and destroying the products.
Adepegba stated that the FDF had a mandate to protect the public and prevent unwholesome fish from getting to the market.
The General Manager, Sifax Offdock, Oliver Omajuwa, said the consignment came in a batch of 43 containers, of which 15 were condemned and 28 had been taken delivery of and certified for consumption by the FDF. | http://thenationonlineng.net/fed-govt-destroys-15-containers-fish-lagos/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/511a11ec1ae19fc195ee9c3142fa3f1f3b6d58221e7247a0a4fe8ad22813a56d.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T00:49:07 | null | 2016-08-31T00:05:16 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fcement-price-rises-n2300%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bags-of-cement.jpg | en | null | Cement price rises to N2,300 | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The price of cement yesterday rose to between N1,200 and N1,300 in Lagos and other parts of the country.
Before the hike, a bag of cement costs about N1, 600 marking over 35 per cent rise in the cost of the raw material used in the building and construction industry.
Reacting to the development, 2nd Vice President Vice President, Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr. Kunle Awobodu said the increase may have been as a result of cost of production and the devaluation of the naira.
He lamented that with the hike, the cost of construction will increase while the need for cost variation in all ongoing contracts and abandonment of projects may become inevitable, adding that it may also discourage people from embarking on new projects.
He said: “Clients, contractors and quantity surveyors may have disagreements due to price variations. New price on old contracts in a competitive bidding may eventually lead to sub-standardisation in construction.”
A cement distributor in Arepo, Ogun State said the new price came as a surprise, adding that it many have been occasioned by the current economic down-turn. Another distributor at Ajah area of Lagos, Mr. Kunle Salami said he has stopped his requests for more supplies as he is not sure of his customers reactions.
He decried the increase and urged the government to intervene either in terms of policy for the manufacturing sector or the provision of constant electricity in order for them to thrive. | http://thenationonlineng.net/cement-price-rises-n2300/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/03a579b3144bae7b9e09550f3602cc75ec31d87c6715b05a38da2e610f569a0d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:48:48 | null | 2016-08-30T00:10:10 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fniger-delta-avengers-buhari-no-attacks%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/niger-delta-avengers.jpg | en | null | Niger Delta Avengers to Buhari: no more attacks | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | Presidency hopes peace move sincere
Army deploys more troops, tanks
Ijaw youths advise govt not to use force
There is good news from the Niger Delta.
The militants whose attacks have caused a huge dip in Nigeria’s oil exports, forcing the economy into a big crisis, said last night that they were done with the hostilities.
The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) broke the news in a letter posted on its website by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari. It also spoke of the need for regular dialogue to take place for the Nigerian union to survive.
Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina welcomed the cessation of hostilities by the Avengers as “a good development which is in the interest of the country and especially the Niger Delta people.”
He said “anything that portends peace is always good,” adding that “we hope that it cuts across board and it is sincere.”
The Avengers alleged that the Federal Government was out to execute a predetermined genocide against the people of the Niger Delta through the recently launched Operation Crocodile Smile, which the military high command has explained as just a training drill designed to prepare the Amphibious Division for a better mastery of the Niger Delta terrain.
The group also observed that the Nigerian system would work better if the Federal Government learns from the developed democracies to allow internal protests and conflicts aimed at greater good of the nation.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put away the garb of a stooge to the imperialists, whenever he speaks outside Nigeria. We have listened carefully and halted hostilities in the Niger Delta. We expect a genuine and positive attitude to restructuring and self-determination for every component unit of Nigeria. Dear president, what makes those countries (Japan, Germany, France, USA, Britain etc.) great is the ability of their governments to accommodate internal protestations and conflicts for the greater good of their nations over the years.
“Nigeria is not a one-man personal property. We must have these talks every time if this union must continue to work as one. The people of the Niger Delta have been living here from time immemorial, so we have the secret of the terrain and survival of amphibious operations.
“No amount of troop surge and simulation exercises will make you win the oil war; you can only win battles. You cannot apply the might of the state to restore the people’s confidence in your leadership when you cannot differentiate between genuine demands and being mismanaged by disorganised characters and tribal lords around you in your government that are playing the court jesters’ role as well as counting the days that is left in your four years term.
“You can deceive the whole world but we cannot be deceived by the so glamorized ongoing military operations in the creeks of Ijaw communities in the Delta coded “ Operation Crocodile Smiles”… the world should knows that with your pronouncement in Kenya and your attitude to the military build-up in the Niger Delta, it is crystal clear that the military has nothing less than a pre-determined genocide in Niger Delta and burn more already scared national resources to the pockets of those that have failed to locate the missing Chibok School Girls.
“Please also tell those foreign nations that your troops are about carrying out extrajudicial killings in the Niger Delta in violation of Article Four of the Geneva Convention with “OPERATION CROCODILE SMILE”. All sane minds know the meaning of “ CROCRODILE TEARS” so by code-naming your military operation CROCODILE SMILES only betrays your motives and attitude to the whole world about the Niger Delta question.”
With an end to bombings, there is hope for increased oil and gas production, which will translate to more revenue for the Federation.
The militants in the last few months hit major pipelines including Shell’s Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) and Forcados terminal, ExxonMobil and Agip’s facilities. These attacks led to shut-in of various crude grades from Nigeria.
At the peak of the attacks, production dropped to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) against a budgeted 2.2 million bpd. Production had risen to 1.9 bpd before the renewed attacks. | http://thenationonlineng.net/niger-delta-avengers-buhari-no-attacks/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/7865e1eb4eb3be5b013d4ed5f43f773235f3ba1cafca804810f77ac0227abe44.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T19:09:58 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fpdp-convention-to-hold-in-abuja-says-bot%2F.json | http://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PDP.jpg | en | null | PDP convention to hold in Abuja, says BoT | null | null | thenationonlineng.net | The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has directed the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee to hold the party’s repeat national convention in Abuja instead of Port Harcourt.
The directive was contained in a communique issued by the BoT after a marathon meeting in Abuja Monday.
The communique, signed by BoT chairman, Sen. Walid Jubrin, also directed that the convention planning committee headed by the Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike be disbanded.
It ordered the Makarfi caretaker committee to set up of a new planning committee, to be approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
Two previous attempts by the PDP to hold the convention in Port Harcourt in May and August this year ended in a fiasco, throwing the party into deeper crisis arising.
The directives by the BoT were part of the conditions given by the faction led by the estranged National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff for peace and reconciliation with the Makarfi committee before the last botched convention.
Thee BoT’s communique read in part, “The next convention should be held in Abuja.
“To ensure a credible, transparent, free and fair convention, a new Convention Planning Committee should be constituted by the National Caretaker Committee and approved by NEC”.
The communique further stated that the BoT should facilitate fund raising for the running of the party and directed to reconciliation committee headed by a former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana to continue with its reconciliation efforts.
The meeting ended with the BoT passing a vote of confidence on the Makarfi led caretaker committee.
It charged the committee to convene a meeting of the NEC, with the view to approving proposals designed to steer the party away from crisis. | http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-convention-to-hold-in-abuja-says-bot/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | thenationonlineng.net/4768f8bc6ba5d98429ae473215d015423be0713df4a895a25f007fdf61e70044.json |
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