₦airaland Forum

Interested Nigerians are invited to participate in a writing competition sponsored by Premium Times Services Limited. The theme/topic of this essay competition is, Visioning The Centenary. The overview of this competition is the remarkable journey Nigeria has taken from mere geographic expression of several hundred ethno-nations to a country in one hundred years. It will therefore be
an essay on events visualised on a decade-by-decade progression. This competition is open to all Nigerians across the world with special emphasis on young people age 30 and below but not limited to them.
Enter competition--------->http://premiumtimesng.com

Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho, has stated that he loves London and would return to work or live there someday.
The former Chelsea of England Coach told SunSport in London on Tuesday that he would love to return to England someday, He ruled out coming to Manchester United or local rivals Manchester City in the summer.
Read details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/sports/126983-mourinho-hints-at-chelsea-return-rules-out-city-united.html

Apparently worried about the controversy generated by the claim to a common acronym by three new political associations, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has invited the Merger Committee of All Progressives Congress to a crucial meeting on Friday, to discuss the issue.
The meeting will hold at INEC Headquarters in Abuja. See details at: http:///ouLd9

An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Thursday remanded a teenage housemaid, Mary Francis, and her boyfriend, at the Ikoyi Prisons over an alleged armed robbery.
The Chief Magistrate, S.O. Solebo, remanded Ms. Francis, 19, and Matthew Igwe, 31, who were accused of robbing the housemaid’s employer, Jene Ashinmi, at gunpoint.
See details at: http:///Gw8BF

A 36-year-old man, Akinsoji Goyea, was on Thursday sentenced to seven years imprisonment for kidnapping an 11 month old baby in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The Ogun State High Court sitting in Isabo handed the sentence to Mr. Goyea without an option of fine. See details at: http:///452bg

A renowned evangelist and founder of the World Soul Winning Evangelical Mission (WOSEM), Prophet Timothy Obadare, is dead.
Mr. Obadare, a blind Akure-based evangelist noted for the monthly Koseunti Crusade, died on Thursday at the age of 85 at an undisclosed private hospital in Akure, the Ondo State. See details at: http:///2uuUp

The recent discovery of 6,000 ghost workers in the 18 local councils of Ondo State has remained shrouded in controversy, with the state government withholding salaries of local council workers.
The Ondo State Government last year set up a staff audit committee to investigate the irregularity in the recruitment exercise carried out at the local governments from December 2008 to December 2012. See details at: http:///9a9kB

Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has signed the bill prohibiting discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS into law.
Mr. Al-Makura, who signed the bill into law in Lafia on Tuesday, stressed the need to show people living with the condition love and affection.
See details at: http:///K9Tkl

A former Super Falcons Coach, Joseph Ladipo, is on life support machine at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
The former Shooting Stars player and coach, popularly called Jossy Lad, was reportedly rushed from a private hospital in the city to UCH late Monday after his ailing health suddenly deteriorated. See details at: http:///jD9Mi

It was God that directed President Goodluck Jonathan to grant pardon to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and other ex-convicts granted pardon by President Goodluck, a close ally of the president has said.
Arthur Eze who recently donated a princely sum of N 1 billion for a church building at Otuoke, the president’s home town, made the acclaimed divine revelation known to State House Correspondents on Tuesday. See details at: http:///HDo5L

President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned Monday’s bomb blasts in Kano.
The President said the barbaric incident will not deter the Federal Government from its strong-willed determination to overcome those who do not mean well for Nigeria. He said the Federal Government will not be stampeded into abandoning its war against terrorists in the country. See details at: http:///oC7WN

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday defended the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, over his controversial donation to state party chairmen from the South South region of Nigeria.
Mr. Akpabio announced the donation of N1 million each to party leaders on Sunday at a meeting of the party’s national leadership with members from the region.
See details at: http:///5FKbZ

Did you enjoy our last Train Trip from Lagos to Kano? Here is the Return Trip.
After decades in the doldrums, the federal government, last December, revived the Lagos – Kano train route, to ease the transportation burden across the country.
The journey averages 33 hours and, like the other major train routes in Nigeria, has witnessed an impressive patronage since it began last December.
See live blogging of the trip at: http:///H5dr1

Have you ever been on the train from Lagos to Kano? Have you ever imagined how the ride would be? PREMIUM TIMES' Ben Ezeamalu is on board the 33 hours ride from Lagos to Kano. He will be liveblogging the entire trip. Follow the expedition here.http:///K8cgt

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday said calls for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme was unpatriotic.
Mr. Abubakar made the remark when he hosted the representatives of the 1,399 batch “A” 2013 corps members posted to the Sokoto.
According to the Sultan, the scheme is making critical impact positively in the various sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
What is your opinion?
Read details at: http:///dEaVx

Two Nollywood star actresses, Ini Edo and Tonto Dike, starred in the soon to be released movie titled, Playing Safe.
Playing Safe, a romantic thriller, portrays young girls who hold on to past experiences, hence, play safe in the game of love.
See details at: http:///WviRG

President Goodluck Jonathan has confirmed the granting of presidential pardon to a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and a few other ex-convicts.
PREMIUM TIMES had broken the story of the pardon while the meeting was underway Tuesday morning. See details at: http:///Q8lWD

A former Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Adisa Bolanta, allegedly brutalized and caused the arrest of a salesgirl, Favour Ibe, in Owerri, the state capital.
Mr. Bolanta has also been accused of constant harassment and intimidation by the sales girl’s boss, simply identified as Mr. Okorie.
Read details at: http:///Vc0gB

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, was convicted of fraud after he pleaded guilty to false declaration of assets and money laundering at a Federal High Court in Lagos. See details at: http:///gcYPU

Five days after he recklessly donated two brand new Toyota SUVs to newly wedded Nigerian musician, Tuface Idibia and his wife, Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, has taken his profligacy to a new high, acquiring exotic bullet-proof sprinter luxury vans from US-based Texas Armoring Corporation (TAC).
See details at: http:///ncJA2

Read details at: http:///JuZhN

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos on Monday said the frequent disregard and flouting of civil laws by military personnel showed that Nigeria had not been fully demilitarised.
Mr. Fashola said this while receiving Major General Abel Umahi, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, in his office in Ikeja.
Read details at: http:///9ZaGM

An insurgent group, Ansaru, has again uploaded a video on the internet to prove it killed the seven foreign workers of Setraco Construction Company in Bauchi, last month.
Reuters, Monday, reported that the group issued a statement in Arabic and English on an affiliate of the Sinam al-Islam network accompanied by screen shots of a video purporting to show the dead hostages. See details at: http:///p2pKm

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said on Sunday in Abuja that President Goodluck Jonathan`s recent visit to Borno and Yobe was to ensure genuine peace and development in the two states.
This is contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh. See details at: http:///5Qwyv

More evidence has emerged to show that global oil giants, Shell and ENI, were very much aware that they were paying over a billion dollars to an ex-con in a shady deal over a Nigerian oil bloc. Read details at: http:///rwGVO

The World Bank has approved $170 million grant for Primary Health Care, pilot projects in the Ondo, Adamawa and Nasarawa states.
The leader of the World Bank Task Team, Dinesh Nair, disclosed the institution’s action in Akure, Ondo State capital during joint advocacy visit of the bank to Ondo State. See details at: http:///ObhmC

Award winning musician, Tuface Idibia, on Sunday said he was yet to decide whether or not to accept the controversial wedding gifts presented to him and his wife on Friday by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom. Read details at: http:///PQSOc

Nigeria’s ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP has thrown its weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s offer to withdraw the military Joint Task Force, JTF, from Borno state only if elders of the state commit to an undertaking making them responsible for further killings and destruction by the Boko Haram sect. See details at: http:///tlCVn

Some stick-wielding Nigerians descended on the Nigerian Embassy in Senegal for failing to help them get the body of a deceased friend.
Watch video at: http:///jkjGA

A Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday struck out an application by four former directors of Newswatch, seeking to stop a suit instituted by the Jimoh Ibrahim led management.
Newswatch Communications Limited had brought the substantive suit praying the court to declare that the four ex-directors: Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Yakubu Mohammed and Soji Akinrinade, have ceased to be directors of the company. See details at:[url] http:///cs296[/url]