₦airaland Forum

Noble Igwe and his bride-to-be, Chioma will be walking down the aisle in Lagos today. Here are some photos from her bridal shower that took place some days ago. More photos after the cut....

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-from-noble-igwes-bride-chioma.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu distributed school shoes, bags, balls & books to pupils in the 3 Senatorial zones of the State today.


See photos below

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-governor-ikpeazu-shares-shool.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

President Buhari has appointed Ben Akabueze as the new Director General Of The Budget Office. Before this appointment,he was the special adviser to the president on national planning.

The former Lagos state commissioner and a serving pastor with the RCCG.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/buhari-appionts-ben-akabueze-as-dg.html

Nigerians still mourn the loss of Former Super Eagles coach and captain,Stephen Keshi . This is a throwback photos of the late Legend.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/throwback-photo-of-late-stephen-keshi.html

Chairman of the National Assembly and Senate President, Saraki leads his colleagues in celebration of the epoch day.


Full Speech:

1. Distinguished colleagues; one year ago today, the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was inaugurated. That inauguration marks a further consolidation of our democracy and opens a new chapter in the practice of government by representation in our country.

2. Let me congratulate all of us, not only for the time we have spent here, but also for all that we have achieved together and all that we have planned to achieve for our peoples and our country as the highest legislative body in the land. Let me thank you all distinguished Senators for your patriotism, for the courage you have demonstrated and for all the hard work we have put into making this Senate a true bastion of our young democracy.

3. On behalf of all the Senators, I will also like to thank members of our various constituencies for the abiding support we have enjoyed over the past one year. We want to assure all across the length and breadth of our country that we are fully committed to continue representing your various and collective interests and aspirations.

4. Every generation of Senators will face its peculiar challenges. The task we set for ourselves and our understanding of our roles as Senators must therefore, reflect a robust understanding of the challenges that we face as a law making body at this time in our history.

5. The successful democratic transition that ushered in a new administration last year has re-ignited the hope of our citizens that democratic government truly empowers the people and is therefore ultimately capable of delivering real benefits to them and give them better quality of life. One year after, this remains the most important aspiration of our people: to be better off than they were in the previous year. Invariably, this must remain the most important priority of government: How do we make our people better off than they were before we came into office? This question, placed in the context of unprecedented decline in government revenue, underlines the economy and security as the two biggest issue of our time.

6. This Senate understands this obvious challenge. And this is why the Legislative Agenda of the 8th Senate is anchored on three cardinal objectives of improving governance, improving business and, improving livelihood. We believe that legislative activities that sustainably improve on these three key indicators will improve the economy and ultimately guarantee a better life for our people.

7. The collapse in oil price has without doubt brought huge shock to our economy on a scale that perhaps, has never been experienced before. This requires us to develop creative strategies that would stimulate business and investments into other sectors. For decades, we have talked about the need to diversify our economy. But we have failed to take the necessary steps in policy and legislations that would set us on the path to developing the kind of economy that we desire. The Ease of Doing Business Report that ranks our country 167 out of 189 countries is not likely to attract business into our economy. This Senate understands this. With the support from our international development partners, the organised private sector, we commissioned an expert report which identified 54 extant laws that must be reviewed and brought in line with international best practices in order to open up our economy up for private investments and business.

8. This legislative intervention yielded about 15 major economic reform bills and 7 business environment bills. Some of these bills have since entered the dockets of the Senate and are at various stages of consideration as some also have been passed by the Senate. Chief among those passed include, the Electronic Transaction bill 2015; Debt Recovery and Insolvency bill 2015 and; the Railway Bill which is being considered through the final lap. All these bills represent a watershed in economic and business legislations in our country.

9. The Electronic Transaction Bill 2015 for example, will be the first legal framework ever in our country that provides the legal foundation for electronic signatures and guarantees predictability in contracts made electronically. Once signed into law, this bill will offer full protections to contracts entered into via emails, and transactions conducted with online shops, electronic commerce and services platforms, which are currently not provided for in our laws. Another obvious benefit of this bill is will reduce the cost of doing business by eliminating transportation and other logistics cost. By passing this bill, the Senate has given legitimacy and local application to the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 23rd November 2005 (the UN Convention).

This new legal framework when signed into law will embolden our innovative creativity and open up new areas of investment opportunity for our youths and startups who have hitherto suffered lack of support from creditors and investors due to the absence of this law. This implication is that we now have opportunity to see the emergence of new generation online, electronic application giants in the mold of Chinedu Echeruo.

10. Another important bill that has emerged from our Ease of Doing Business intervention is the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Repeal and Amendment Bill 2015. These are the super structure on which a 21st century Nigerian economy must be built on. Nigeria has been ranked very low in dealing with corporate insolvency due to the multiple, costly and unwieldy resolution framework under the old 1979 Act. Aside from removing the clogs in the process of transiting insolvency to administration, this new bill guarantees that the process becomes even more efficient, less exhausting and result oriented. The primary objective of this bill is to shift the paradigm of business administration from focusing on penalizing failures to encouraging credit and entrepreneurship. This is one bill that has the potential to transform the Nigerian financial landscape by enabling consistent supply of credit; attracting new capital and expertise into business revival; improving creditor recoveries and lowering the cost of credit.

11. There is no gainsaying that an efficient transportation system is a critical component of economic development anywhere. For the first time since 1924, the Railway bill will open up the subsector and attract the required private capital into this segment of our transport system that has appeared stuck in the past. The influx of private sector players, states and local government will not only stimulate rapid rural development, it will also create economic values by making transportation of goods more efficient, safer, and cheaper. The direct and indirect implication this will have for our economy, especially in the agricultural subsector cannot be overemphasized. I am confident that this very important bill will also be passed soon.

12. Review of the Public Procurement Act is another major intervention by the Senate. This review is inspired by the need to guarantee government patronage for local manufacturers. Our desire is to ensure that a substantial percentage of the N6 trillion in the national budget is retained in the local economy and put in the pockets of our people. We believe that if government is obligated to patronize local businesses, wealth would be created, local industries would grow, productivity would increase and we would begin to see real reduction in mass unemployment. In adopting this approach, we have drawn inspiration from other developed economies that had done the same thing at a crucial stage in their development. The United States did the same thing around 1922 with the Buy America policy that was promoted by the Herbert Hoover administration. China, South Africa and other countries have similar laws that creatively promotes local businesses.

The agriculture credit scheme bill and the Chartered Institute for Soil Science bill we have just passed into law are part of a critical segment of legislative interventions we have designed to boost the current policy on agriculture as a major plank of the diversification policy of government. In the coming months we are determined to continue to focus our legislative energy at high impact legislation across the critical sectors of our economy.

13. Distinguished colleagues, I have gone to fairly great lengths to articulate some of the work we have done in the last one year. I have done this to underline the fact that it is only through these functions that our performance would be measured by Nigerians and our presence here would be justified. By outlining these interventions, we are also able to appreciate the great work that still lies ahead of us. Like I have said earlier, the big challenge for our generation is that of creating a modern economy that is capable of delivering prosperity to all our citizens. We in the Senate will continue to find creative solutions to the old problems that have kept our country from realizing its full potentials. This is the work we have been elected to do.

14. Distinguished colleagues, for too long Nigerians have challenged us to justify our presence in this chamber. Many have wondered what exactly we do here or why we should be entitled to certain privileges. I believe that the best answer we can provide to all these is to continue to seek ways that would enable the ordinary citizen feel the impact of the Senate in their lives. I dream of a day when the poor woman sitting in her house in rural Awka would be able to see the benefit of our work on her life. I dream of a day when a child going to school in Gusau would feel the benefit of the laws that we make. I dream of a day when a young lady in Oshogbo would be able to say how the Senate has helped her small business. I dream of a day when a farmer in Ogoja would see how those of us gathered in this chamber has helped to improve his life. I am confident that if we continue of the path that we have walked in the past year, that day will come soon.

15. We have continued to lay emphasis and focus our attention on matters that directly touch our people. For us it is our first priority, to use lawmaking as a tool to play our part in the struggle to ensure that the welfare and security of our people remains paramount in the discharge of governance in this country. You would recall that that we had within the first month of assumption of office visited the IDP camp where some of our brothers and sisters displaced by the insurgency are staying. We went there to feel their plight and to assure them that they are not forgotten. We pledge that as lawmakers we will do whatever is necessary to support government to alleviate their sufferings. Today, we are on the verge of passing the North East Development Commission Bill which we see as a critical instrument to bringing succor to the displaced restoring and rebuilding the north east from the devastation that it has experienced in recent times. We have continued to approach our work within this policy direction in mind. This is why we have sought and engaged with labour and the ministry of power on the electricity tariff, and continued to address issues of injustices wherever we are called upon to intervene.

16. We are determined to continue to pursue engagement and consultation as a major legislative policy where our people take ownership and our legislative authority is further enhanced by the enriching through the knowledge and participation of our people in the entire process. Just as we did with the organised private sector, we are looking forward to engaging the Nigerian health sector, education and security in organised sections to seek their input to our legislative proposals. In the spirit of this initiative let me use this opportunity to send out an open invitation to all Nigerians, this Senate and by extension, the 8th National Assembly is ready to engage with you, we urge you to bring forward your ideas lets engage to make Nigeria better.

17. Since our inauguration, we have been inundated with complains from our people on the rising levels of violence against women and sexual harassment and rape. the 8th Senate is coming up with proposals that will not only help to eliminate these depravities but also ensure that perpetrators will no longer have any where to hide. We are determined to ensure that our women, our children and the vulnerable in our society irrespective of their age, status and ethnic background live in a safe and fulfilling environment where their rights are respected and their security is assured.

18. Distinguished Senators, permit me to seize this opportunity to formally congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on the one-year anniversary of his government and to also commend him for the great achievements he has recorded on several fronts. We are all grateful to Mr. President that Boko Haram, a mindless terrorist group that once threatened our corporate existence as a country has been severely degraded. I also commend the president for his bold and courageous fight against corruption, which has manifested in improved probity and accountability in operations of government business.

19. On our part and in keeping with our pledge to support the anticorruption crusade, this Senate has within this period carried out oversight investigations into the noticed abuse in the implementation of the Treasury Single Account saving government over N20bn and the implementation of the Rice Importation Waivers and Duties policy of government and the latest NEITI Report detailing humongous levels of corruption totaling over 3trillion naira. All these and many more system leakages we must do all in our power to expose. Our anticorruption agencies must double their effort at ensuring that these kind of wholesale abuses are no longer part of our governance history. This is what the anti-corruption war must be about.

20. However, it is important that as we move forward in this fight, considerable attention is paid to strengthening the anti-corruption agencies to enable them discharge their functions with greater efficiency and fairness. We want to assure Mr. President that the Senate will continue to play its part in the fight against corruption, which we believe is cardinal in our desire to improve governance in our country. We will also continue to broaden the scope for increased openness and accountability that we have promised at the legislative level.

21. While the government has made progress in the fight against Boko Haram and in the fight against corruption, the fight against mass poverty remains a daunting challenge. Rising cost of living, increased cases of retrenchment and corresponding rise in unemployment, inability of state governors to pay salaries, upsurge in ethnic-based agitation, potentially denies government the full credit of the great strides it has made in other areas. The same energy that has been invested in fighting corruption and Boko Haram must be invested in taking care of the people, in making life easier and better for them. We need to begin to assure Nigerians that the sacrifice that they make today will not be in vain. We need to begin to show them that there would be light at the end of the dark tunnel. So we must not relent in our efforts in this area over the next years ahead.

22. These are serious challenges that require all hands to be on deck. There is no other time in our history than now when the business of government needs to be conducted with great inclusiveness. We must find a way to bring the best brains in our country on board wherever they may be found. Even those who did not vote for us but believe in the change that we all believe is necessary to move our country forward should be given a seat at the table. If we are able to mobilise the best human resources that God has bountifully blessed our country with, I have no doubt that with God on our side, we shall overcome.

23. I cannot end this address without a note on the on going security challenges we are beginning to witness in the Niger Delta area of our country. We urge the warring militants to embrace our democratic institutions and channel their grievances through appropriate quarters as we can ill afford further damage to the ecosystem of this all important region and any more disruptions in the system. In the same vein, we also encourage government to adopt dialogue and engagement as a more lasting option towards resolving this challenge. We also call on the leaders in the area to play their part and ensure through mediation that this menace is comprehensively quelled.


24. Thank you and God bless.

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/senate-president-bukola-sarakis-full.html

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The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 arrested one Austine Okwuokei (seen in photo) at Costain Roundabout, Iponri, while extorting money from motorist under the pretence of being a policeman.

Investigation carried out revealed that the said Austine makes up to Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) daily from his illegal activities which has painted the police in bad light as his victims saw him as a genuine policeman. Arrangements have been concluded to charge the suspect to court accordingly.

The Lagos State Police Command is advising members of the public not to part with their money to anyone who claims to be a police officer or seen wearing resemblance of police uniform as the leadership of the force frowns at all forms of corruption.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photo-fake-policeman-arrested-in-lagos.html


cc: lalasticlala mynd44

The Nigerian Senate was in session today headed by the Senate President president,Bukola Saraki and the session ended at exactly 1;50pm .


See more photos below

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-from-todays-senate-plenary_8.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Rest In Peace


https://mobile.twitter.com/OfficialKeshi/status/695739063706320896

Justice Nnamdi O. Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 ordered the remand of Azibaola Robert, a cousin of ex- president Goodluck Jonathan in Kuje Prison pending the determination of his bail application.

Azibaola and his wife, Stella, were arraigned alongside their company, One Plus Holding Limited on a seven 7-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The couple were alleged to have diverted$40million (forty million US dollars) purportedly meant for the supply of tactical communication kits for Special Forces. The money was transferred from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria to the domiciliary account of their company, One Plus Holdings.


http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-jonathans-cousin-cried-after.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

BBC just throw a serious jab at President Muhamamdu Buhari for traveling abroad for ear infection.

On the home screenof the corporation, BB asked why: of all President, why Travel aboard for treament".

What do you think of this? Isn't it right for the President to travel aboard for medical check ups especially at a time Nigerian Doctors referred precautionary treatment to the ailing ear infection of the President.

See photo:

https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/data/attachments/61/61791-b20e7eb9e02046da576bc56596cda501.jpg

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photo-bbc-blasts-buhari-why-travel.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

This is Olive court in Ibadan which was totally renovated by the Ajimobi administration . Legal practitioners in Oyo regarded the newly renovated Olive court as the best court room in Oyo state.


See photos below

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/is-this-most-beautiful-high-court-in.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

The 2016 edition of Nollywood Film Festival Week ended in Paris at the weekend with much pomp and ceremony.

The event, which is the fourth of its kind, is one of Europe’s leading film festivals, and the biggest celebration of Nollywood in France. Over 20 Nollywood actors, directors and producers were hosted in the city and co-production deals secured for people active in the industry

The opening night screening was attended by several Nollywood stars including Kunle Afolayan, Ijeoma Grace Agu, Odunlade Adekola, Linda Ejiofor, Kehinde Bankole, Muyiwa Ademola, Adekunle Gold, Bose Oshin, Adesua Etomi, Angelique Kidjo, Kemi Lala Akindoju and many more.

Check out pictures from the opening night screening.
https://greennews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Nollywood-Film-Festival-Week-Paris-2016-BellaNaija-The-CEO-9-600x749-240x300.jpg
https://greennews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Wale-OJO-Kunle-AFOLAYAN-Angelique-KIDJO-Fatym-LAYACHI-THE-CEO-team-300x200.jpg
https://greennews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Aissa-Maiga-french-actress-and-OC-UKEJE-Prey-198x300.jpg
https://greennews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Kehinde-BANKOLE-actress-Lala-AKINDOJU-The-CEO-Ijoema-Grace-AGU-Taxi-Driver-300x200.jpg
https://greennews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Kehinde-BANKOLE-Actress-Adekunle-GOLD-Nigerian-Singer-Lala-AKINDOJU-actress-The-CEO-256x300.jpg
https://greennews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Ramsey-NOUAH-Actor-Gbomo-Gbomo-Express-300x200.jpg

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-kunle-afolayan-odunlade-adekola.html

cc: lalasticlala

https://www.yabaleftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/car-0.jpg

Epp Me Understand! How Does Driving a car over you heal you? or Perform Miracles? I just don’t get it…Why are people this gullible? Is this even appropriate?

Epp Me…Maybe I really don’t understand the bible.

This was the same man who forced his congregation to eat grass, eat their clothes and other strange things..

Now the controversial South African pastor, Prophet Penuel, yesterday June 3rd asked some of his followers to lie on the ground, he then drove his car over them.

This happened at a crusade he organized at the Kameelrivier B stadium hall in South Africa.

https://www.yabaleftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/car-01.jpg
https://www.yabaleftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/car-02.jpg
https://www.yabaleftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/car-03.jpg

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-south-african-pastor-climbs-over.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that has been responsible for the blow up of oil wells in the Niger Delta region on Saturday urged other groups on Saturday not to attack soldiers or kidnap people.


The Militants group, which says its attacks have not killed anyone, also urged a group that said it has anti-aircraft missiles not to target any aircraft.

In the statement, which referred to "the daily emergence of new groups" entitled "Message to Our Brothers in the Struggle" explained that "the war is on oil installations," and added: "Avengers will deal with any group that refuses and attacks military (personnel)."

It also continues: "The high command is calling on all groups in Rivers, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom to not indulge in any act of kidnapping and attacking of soldiers."

Recall that the group has claimed responsibility for most of the latest attacks.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/niger-delta-avengers-warn-another.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

The summit on Yoruba language was held in Lagos today and prominent yoruba personalities were at attendance,among were the Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty Enitan Ogunwusi; the Alaafin of Oyo, His Royal Majesty Lamidi Adeyemi 111; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.Jide Kosoko and governors from the southwest geo-political zone.


The summit was organized by the Lagos state house of assembly.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-ooni-of-ifealafin-of.html

According to a statement by NAF, the move is part of efforts towards coping with the dynamism of emerging security threats.NAF said it is adopting the new concept of base defence to protect its air assets and critical installations.Aside reorganising, retraining and re-equipping the Regiment Specialty to effectively defend NAF Bases against attacks, the Service has also employed the use of Closed Circuit Camera to provide surveillance around perimeter fences of NAF Bases while monitoring the entire Basefrom the Base Defence Coordination Centre.Under the new concept, effort is geared towards expanding the Regiment Specialty to be able to take over all ground defence duties with a view to securing NAF Bases and critical assets.

The recent acquisition of 10 specialised Honker Scorpion Vehicles is in furtherance of this objective by providing guards with the capacity to respond quickly to security breaches. The vehicles possess armoured capability thus offering additional level of protection to guards. Speaking during Commissioning ceremony, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin stated that the induction of the Honker vehicles will enhance the capability of NAF Regiment personnel to effectively contribute to the collective efforts at addressing the security challenges facing the nation, adding that “the procurement was a testimony of the importance the NAF attached to the protection of its critical assets and personnel”. Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar has reiterated that the nation, and NAF in particular, cannot afford to lose its critical assets to the activities of insurgents, terrorists and militants.

Air Marshal Abubakar stated that the NAF is therefore committed to adopt all necessary security measures to forestall occurrence of past mistakes.

The CAS added that the deployment of the Honker vehicles is intended to significantly enhance the NAF Base Defence System as well as security of key and vulnerable points around the nation including the airports. Another major advantage of the Honker vehicles is that it helps to eliminate the system hitherto in place where guards were made stationary at their guard posts.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-naf-acquire-new-equipment-to.html

This man was seen in Lagos this morning with a baby at his back, pedestrians at first thought he"s a mad man until someone assisted him with his load and another child.
Twitter User @OMD_dico took and shared these photos


http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photo-man-back-baby-with-wrapper-at-bus.html

The House of Representative passed 13 bills yesterday and another 13 today.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-house-of-reps-passed-26-bills-in.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

The environmental restoration of Ogoniland could prove to be the world's most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken if contaminated drinking water, land, creeks and important ecosystems such as mangroves are to be brought back to full, productive health.

A major new scientific assessment, carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), shows that pollution from over 50 years of oil operations in the region has penetrated further and deeper than many may have supposed.

A statement from Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, the Head of Corporate Affairs unit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari will launch the Ogoni land clean-up on June 2.

It will be recalled that Buhari, who inaugurated a fish pond in 1984 where the once flourishing pond regrettably had been destroyed by oil pollution would return to Ogoni land where to restore the ecosystem to what it used to be and as such restore the peoples’ source of livelihood.



1. Ogoniland is situated in the Niger Delta region, the third largest mangrove ecosystem in the world. The region is divided administratively into four local government areas: Eleme, Gokana, Khana, and Tai. The Ogoni speak the related, mutually intelligible languages of Khana, Gokana, Tae (Tẹẹ), Eleme, and Ban Ogoi part of the linguistic diversity of the Niger Delta.

2. Ogoniland is a region covering some 1,000 km² in the south-east of the Niger Delta basin. It has a population of close to 832,000, according to the 2006 National Census, consisting mainly of the Ogoni people. The region has witnessed recurrent social unrest during the past several decades over concerns related to oil industry operations and the distribution of its revenue. More than £30bn of oil has been extracted from the area but the majority of people are worse off than before the companies arrived.

3. Oil exploration in Ogoniland commenced in the 1950s and extensive production facilities were established during the following three decades. These operations were handled by Shell Petroleum Development Company (Nigeria) Ltd (SPDC), a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Shell International, Elf and Agip. Environmental incidents, such as spills and uncontrolled flares, began in the area as soon as the operations began and responses were slow and inadequate.



4. In response to the environmental consequences of oil production, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) was founded under the leadership of the late Nigerian author Ken Saro-Wiwa. Saro-Wiwa criticized oil companies and the government’s oil policy.

5. The Abacha junta accused Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others of killing four Ogoni chiefs who were on the opposing side of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP.
Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were subsequently arrested, tried by a special military tribunal. Though they denied the charges against them, they were imprisoned for over a year before being found guilty and hanged on November 10, 1995.

6. In 1993, about 300,000 Ogoni joined a march to demand a share in oil revenues and greater political autonomy.

7. In August, 2011, Shell accepted full responsibility for two massive oil spills that occurred in 2008 and that devastated Bodo in Ogoniland where 69,000 people live and may take at least 20 years to clean up the land.

8. The Royal Dutch Shell and Brain Anderson, Head of its Nigeria Operations, were believed to have connived with the Abacha's government on Mr. Saro-Wiwa’s trial and execution.

The company denied the allegations, despite testimonies stating otherwise, and it agreed a $15.5 million out-of-court settlement in favour of the families of the victims in 2009, saying however that the payment was not a concession of guilt, but a gesture for peace.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/things-you-need-to-know-about-ogoni.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Two members of Nigeria's house of Representatives have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Hon. Tony Nwoye (Anambra State) and Hon. Emmanuel Udende (Benue State) defected at the plenary today.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/2-house-of-reps-members-defect-from-pdp.html

Photos From Actor,dejo Tunfulu's 17 Years Old Daughter Wedding


https://i0.wp.com/thenet.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Dejo.png?w=469
Popular comic actor, Kunle Mac Adetokunbo better known as Dejo Tunfulu on Saturday May 28, gave out his teenage daughter Sammyhat Pamilerin in marriage to her beau, Ahmed Babatunde Oladele aka Danku Malaysia.

Rumour has it that Ahmed, who’s said to be in his early 20s has already put Pamilerin in the family way and this necessitated her early marriage.
https://i2.wp.com/thenet.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Dejo-1.png?resize=600%2C381

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-from-actordejo-tunfulus-17-years.html

Nigerian gay rights activist, Bisi Alimi and his soon-to-be-husband, Anthony, pictured above at the UK registry where they went to give notice for their wedding coming up in November this year. He shared the photo and wrote

"At the registry this morning, giving notice of our marriage. 5months to go! Yay!!! #lovewins #gaycouple#equalmarriage #equallove#gaymarriage".

Bisi also shared a photo of himself and his mother in-law. See the pic after the cut.



http://www.metronaija.com/2016/06/photos-gay-nigeranbisi-alimi-and-his.html

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The Yobe state government and Kano based journalist/London School of Public Relations graduate, Jaafar Jaafar have been exchanging hot words on social media since yesterday. It all started after Jaafar posted photos of a dilapidated school in Yobe State on Facebook, comparing it to the alleged N18million front page advert, to congratulate president Buhari on his first year in office, which was sponsored by the state governor.

This morning, Yobe state government replied Jaafar and he fired back. See all that after the cut...



"More pictures from Government Day Secondary School Gashua, Yobe State. Before this dilapidation, it was one of the best schools in the North East. Sadly, the governor chose to "sustain democracy" on the pages of newspapers and ignore the school"


SA to Yobe State Governor replies Jaafar Jaafar. "We paid for the advertorial but so did all state governments"

A statement issued by Abdullahi Bego, the Special Adviser to Yobe State Governor on Media:
"An Internet Warrior's Internet Mischief: An engagement with Jaafar Jaafar
I respect Jafar Jafar, the young, active journalist and social media chatfigure. Like the rest of us, he is a human being who has opinions and idiosyncacies. His views always come through even on relatively unfamiliar subjects. Plus, I know him to be friends with some media assistants of a major Yobe opposition figure, who has stood for election many times.
So, when Jaafar Jaafar posted the front page of the Daily Trust on Sunday today and said the Yobe State Government paid N18 million for it, I knew instinctively this was a clear act of mischief.

Here is why:
The Daily Trust today carried a 'wrap-around' publication on the Yobe State Government in which not just the front page but the second, third and fourth pages of the paper were devoted to highlighting the activities of the Yobe State Government.
The front page was a congratulatory message to President Buhari, and it acknowledges the effort of the Buhari-led federal government in restoring peace to Yobe and the Northeast. We thought it was auspicious on this day when the President has marked one year in office to appreciate his effort in defeating Boko Haram and helping to bring respite to our people. It is also a way of saying we are following the security effort of the Federal Government and we are hugely invested in it.
The second, third and fourth pages highlighted in some detail and with pictures the various interventions of the Gaidam-led government over the past year and over the course of the governor's first term in office. The pages spoke to developments in healthcare, education, roads and youth empowerment, among others despite all the recent security challenges and the ongoing fiscal straits.

What Jaafar Jaafar wrote is clearly mischievous because he showed only the Daily Trust front page and said it was worth N18 milion. He refused to show the three other pages. But even if he did, the entire publication - the front page and the remaining three coloured pages - is nowhere near the figure he quoted.

Of course we paid for the advertorial. But so did all the State Governments, corporate organisations and individuals who advertised in the paper today. Advertisement is a newspaper's major source of revenue. So, Daily Trust will not devote pages 1, 2, 3 and 4 of its edition for free.

Over time, we have learnt that the political opposition in Yobe is always very happy when the Gaidam administration is accused of not performing. It serves their crave for political power and provides a cannon for their misinformation.
So, whenever those claims were belied, and the Gaidam administration is portrayed as doing its best within circumstances that are heavily stifling and limiting, those opposition demagogues get jitery. They feel exposed; that people will learn differently from what they say.

But it doesn't matter. If Jaafar Jaafar has chosen to support the manufacture and spread of lies on the internet, something he said he is opposed to many times, then that's his choice. If his choice is to put aside the reputation he has built for himself - and for which many of us respect him - and follow in the direction of those cynical, mischievous political opponents, that's also his choice.
It is his choice to speak and write the truth. It is also his choice to lie, just like he did. (And he is yet to bring evidence that we actually paid the sum he concocted).
But we also have a choice to state what we know to be the truth: That the four pages of advertisement in Daily Trust today were paid for. But we didn't pay N18 milion. Since the entire argument is about the figure of N18 million, that figure is a false, period! Otherwise everyone knows that advertisements are payable. And all governments at all levels advertise from time to time.
As a student of comunications, I know that social media are hugely empowering. For the price of a GSM internet data, anyone can go onine to say whatever they want. And it is in the nature of our democracy that people express their opinions. That's okay because democracies are enriched by them.

Here is the catch: We have a responsibility to be truthful and factual and to not malign people unjustifiably, despite our right to express our opinions.

Unless we adhere to this basic fact about the need to be responsbile and factual, Jaafar Jaafar's own call - on BBC Hausa recently - that we should not use the internet to accuse people wrongly will continue to fall in deaf ears. That would be a blow to his advocacy for responsible and informed use of the internet."
Jaafar Jaafar replies, "Public funds are being embezzled to 'sustain democracy' on the pages of newspapers"

The war of words between journalist Jaafar Jaafar and SA to Yobe State Gover, Abdullahi Bego, continues. His response below:

"Dear Sir, I don't join issues with senior professional colleagues, especially those I hold in high esteem. On this, I'll take exception to my standpoint. Before I posted the pictures, I called an advert executive at Daily Trust who confirmed that N18 million is the cost of full front page advert. In your about 1,000-word piece, I expected you give Yobe people a hint of what government spent to buy over the four strategic pages of the newspaper. You evaded the issue and parried the question all through. It may be possible you negotiated the price and got a rebate as a former staff, but the fact remains that public funds were embezzled "to sustain democracy" on the pages of newspapers when public schools are in squalor. Your principal should have turned his attention to post-war reconstruction of Yobe State than egoistic profligacy. On my "friendship" with the opposition in Yobe, I just wondered who you were alluding to as my "friend". If you ask me, the best friend I have in Yobe is you. Warm regards. Jaafar Jaafar"

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/05/yobe-state-government-journalist-jaafar.html

The treasury of the Ogun state government has gone leaner these days, as the gloomy Nigerian economy takes its toll.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun at an interactive session with various groups and citizens of the state on Sunday dropped the shocking news that the state revenue has fallen by 74 per cent. At its zenith, Ogun state was making N6billion monthly from internally generated revenue up till 2014.

But on Sunday, Governor Amosun did not give the comparative revenue figures as of now, while enumerating the various bills his government pays to run its schools.

“Things are not like when we came in. What we are collecting now is 74 per cent less than what we were collecting in 2011 when we came into office.

” Imagine paying almost N800M to N900M monthly to our schools and it is interesting to know that we have the largest number of institutions in the country and most of them are state owned.

“We pay Olabisi Onabanjo University,OOU N85.5M every month and it was paid for four years. We have also paid backlog of 18-19 months. If you multiply this by 12 and times by 48, it means that in four years,we have paid over N40billion to them. You will agree with me that it is not easy, but we will not relent.

“TASUED with total number of students of almost 20,000 collects between N50M to N60M monthly,MAPOLY, Abeokuta of about 25,000 students receives N40M,OOUTH,Sagamu,N190M, DS Adegbenro,Itori,about N8M.

“The primary school teachers are not there,they take away nothing less than N2.1billion monthly and if we added the secondary staff to it,it gives you something around N3.2billion.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/05/ogun-state-revenue-drops-by-74.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

In an interview on the current’s administration’s one year in office, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on War Against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay denied allegations that the government was being selective in the anti-graft war assuring Nigerians that justice would prevail in all ongoing cases.


The Law professor made this known on Channels TV yesterday during the programme organised to assess President Buhari's one year in office. According to him, the persons that had access to funds were part of the previous administration and are being tried for looting the funds.

He said: “Vigorous dynamic prosecution that the EFCC has come across. The cases are progressing aggressively.

“It is a fresh start and a normal criminal case of sought use tn take between 10 to 12 years and still be in suspense.

“If you follow what is going on now, the case are moving on. In some cases the government has concluded its prosecution and the defence has been opened.

“Within the next six months, federal authorities will begin to conclude cases filed against alleged corrupt individuals who are currently being prosecuted, a Nigerian government official said on Sunday.

He assured Nigerians that there would be an end to what what he called “suspended cases”.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/05/there-will-be-no-more-suspended-corrupt.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

One Important Thing Missing In Buhari's Democracy Speech



President Mohammadu Buhari on Sunday, May 29 addressed Nigerians on his milestones in his one-year old administration.

Reading through the transcript of President Buhari's Democracy speech, he touched on Boko haram, IPOB, Niger Delta Militants , but there was no mention of Fulani herdsmen attacks.


In Global Terrorism Index, Boko Haram is ranked as the deadliest terrorism group in the world, follow by ISIS, AL-Shabab. Fulani herdsmen is rated fourth as one of the worst terrorist organisations in the world with its base in Nigeria.

That means Nigeria harbors two of the powerful terrorist organisations in the world. And the President is silent about it.

What could this mean for Nigeria?

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/05/one-important-thing-missing-in-buharis.html

https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/data/attachments/60/60642-0514c3452e328d017bedbce93f2b5dd0.jpg

On budget implementation: Budget implementation has started. We will start making payments for the big-ticket infrastructure items very soon.

On recovering stolen funds: We’re currently investigating embezzled military funds to the tune of $15 billion. That’s half our FX reserves.

On the transparency of the present administration: PMB not interested in making money or awarding contracts. Same goes for me. Public service has to be public service. We’re committed to building a country where integrity is the rule & corruption is the exception, not the other way round. We have a line in the budget for recovered funds; our plan is to utilize the money as transparently as possible.

On PMB: PMB is extremely open to criticism of his own policies and positions. But he also has his own positions, as he should.

On the government not being as harsh on itself as it is to Nigerians: PMB is an extremely frugal person, and this is clear from his lifestyle. I can tell you he’s cut a lot of government waste. I was doing far better as a lawyer in Lagos, in terms of earnings, than as Vice President I’m not complaining though.

https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/data/attachments/60/60641-d1de428a80065a58cf94354bd65c9f2a.jpg
On Niger Delta: PMB is about to launch the cleanup of the Niger Delta, which is first time any government is taking serious steps in this regard. We’re engaging with every sector in the Niger Delta. When people have genuine grievances, we must engage with them.

On curbing violence in the country and increasing performance of law enforcement: I now get a report from the Police virtually every week, about what’s happening nationwide.

On healthcare: Focus of government is on primary health care. This is because the majority of Nigerians access healthcare from those centers.

On calling Niger Delta Avengers criminals: My firm view is that the wanton destruction of oil pipelines and export faculties is criminal conduct.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/05/9-powerful-things-osibanjo-said-about.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44