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NAF chief: Armed forces committed to end insecurity
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, yesterday declared that the Armed Forces remained committed to ending the crisis of insecurity ravaging the nation. He said the expected delivery of six A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets by the United States in July and two drones from China, would be a “game changer” in the war against insurgency. The position of the air force chief is coming on a day the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, sought the assistance of the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, to provide security for train stations and railway construction sites across the country. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 1,031 recruits of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Basic Military Training Course 41/2020, Amao affirmed that “the NAF in consonance w...
Ex-soldiers: We trained 4,400 IPOB militias after Nnamdi Kanu promised us rank of General in Biafra Republic
Operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team have arrested three dismissed soldiers, who allegedly partook in the training of 4,400 members of the Eastern Security Network for the Indigenous People of Biafra. The suspects have been identified as Linus Owalo, Godswill Steven and Chinasa Orji. They were arrested recently after operatives of the IRT, while following a tip-off from some members of IPOB, raided the group’s hideouts in Imo, Anambra and Delta States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. ESN is the armed wing of the POB. IPOB and ESN have been accused by the police of being responsible for the attacks and killings of security operatives as well as burning of police stations and government infrastructure across the South East and South South regions of the country. IPOB a...
Abia government renames technical colleges
The Abia State Executive Council has approved the renaming of some existing colleges in the state. The institutions renamed are, Boys Technical College, Aba to Government Technical College, Aba and Secondary Technical School, Afara to Government Technical College, Afara. The decision to rename the colleges was taken at a meeting presided by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu held inside the Executive Chambers of Government House Umuahia on Wednesday. This was disclosed in a release signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barrister Chris Ezems and made available to newsmen in Umuahia on Friday. According to the release, the Council approved that all students enrolled in the Technical schools will enjoy free education whilst Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) should as a...
Kwara governor: Let’s fight terrorism, poverty, not ourselves
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has called on Nigerians to unite in the fight against terrorism, banditry and mass poverty. AbdulRazaq made the appeal at the closing ceremony of 2 Division Inter-Brigade Corporals and Below Competition 2021, at the Sobi Barack Ilorin on Friday. The governor described these challenges as “our common enemies” and urged citizens to stop seeing one another as enemies. According to him, these are elements bent on terrorising the people and tearing the nation apart. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his patience and support for the security agencies to discharge their duties as well as commitment to national peace and security. “The security agencies, particularly the military will continue to symbolise the unity of the people and the strength of t...
Jorginho almost joined Manchester City in 2018 – agent
Chelsea star Jorginho was close to joining Manchester City prior to his move to west London, according to the midfielder’s agent. Jorginho followed Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri to Stamford Bridge in 2018 and has since become a key part of the Blues line-up, helping them to Champions League final victory over City in May. But if things had turned out differently he might well have lined up against his current team-mates in Porto. “It was Napoli’s choice,” agent Joao Santos explained to Football Italia. “They were negotiating with Manchester City, but then they began talks with Chelsea, and that’s where we ended up. “We have nothing against Manchester City. Playing at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola would have been satisfying, but that’s how transfers work. “Sometimes things can change ver...
President Buhari orders IGP to reduce insecurity to barest minimum
President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to ensure insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum. This is even as the Police Council made up of the President, Vice President, governors, ministers of Police Affairs, Interior and the Federal Capital Territory, confirmed Baba as the IGP. Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, who confirmed the development at the end of the one and half hours meeting, said he was unanimously confirmed. President Buhari had on April 6, appointed Baba as acting the Inspector General of Police. Baba was a Deputy Inspector General of Police before his promotion. Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting held at the First Lady Conference Room, the main purpose of the meeting was to “get the appo...
Orville Peck Shares Cover of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”, Announces 2021 “Summertime Tour”
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-04T18:18:41+00:00“>June 4, 2021 | 2:18pm ET Cult country artist Orville Peck has unveiled his cover of Lady Gaga’s 2011 hit, “Born This Way”. The track was recorded for Gaga’s upcoming reimagined version of Born This Way in celebration of the 10th anniversary of her sophomore album. Officially titled “Born This Way (The Country Road Version)”, the cover features Peck giving it his own twist while largely staying true to the original lyrics. However, he does add an extra flair to the breakdown while singing, “If I wanna make it country, baby, it’s okay/ I was born, I was born, I was born this way/ From London, Paris, Japan, back to USA/ I was born on the road, I was born...
Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton & More Join ‘Cameo Goes Country’ Charitable Campaign
Proceeds will be distributed to ACM Lifting Lives’ COVID-19 Response Fund. Cameo, the app and tech company that allows users to pay celebrities for personalized videos, has struck a charitable partnership with ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music. The resulting campaign, “Cameo Goes Country,” will benefit ACM Lifting Lives’ COVID-19 Response Fund and music therapy programs for both physical and mental health-related issues. Going live today and running through June 30, “Cameo Goes Country” allows fans to book personalized messages and purchase virtual meet-and-greet tickets in support of the charitable campaign. Participating country artists, who will donate 100% of their proceeds to the cause, include Carrie Underwood, Chrissy Metz, Deana Carter, ...
House member accuses military of extrajudicial killings, looting in Imo
A member of the House of Representatives, Bede Eke, has said men of the Nigerian Army and the police are carrying out extrajudicial killings and displacement of people in Imo State following the recent killing of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak. Mr Gulak, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was killed by unknown gunmen on May 30 while on his way to Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, en route Abuja. According to the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Mr Gulak was consulting for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, which he (Omo-Agege) heads. The police said Mr Gulak’s killers were subsequently killed in a gun battle. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Mr Eke, who represents Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State, alleged tha...
Group wants more women in governance
The Women Political Participation Technical Working Group (WPP-TWG) has called for the review of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate more women in government. The position by the group was presented during the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Amendment organised by the National Assembly in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital. Making the disclosure was Mrs. Glory Ekaso, Director, National Issues/Welfare, WPP-TWG, who briefed newsmen in Uyo on Thursday to intimate the public on the women’s position as presented during the just-concluded Constitution amendment committee meetings. Ekaso said the WPP-TWG comprised 26 women’s groups across the country with a common mission to ensure equitable representation in government. She said that women political representation in the 2019 e...
CJN demands NJC’s involvement in fixing, reviewing of judge’s salary
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has admonished the National Assembly to alter the constitution to mandate the National Judicial Council (NJC) to be involved in the fixing and reviewing of salaries and other emoluments of judges in the country. The CJN, who decried the non review of their salaries in the last 13 years by the Salaries and Wages Commission, also asked for the review of their salaries every four years. He also wants the NJC to collect, control and disburse all monies, capital and recurrent for the judiciary. Justice Muhammad’s demands were contained in the paper he presented as part of recommendations on behalf of the Judiciary at the national public hearing by Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution held at the Africa Hall of the Inte...
Minister: Nigeria’s earlier break-up prediction failed, others will
Information minister Lai Mohammed says a prediction that Nigeria would break up in 2015 did not materialise, asserting that current predictions by individuals and organisations will also fail. A former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, and one other expert had suggested that Nigeria had become a failed state calling on the U.S. government to step to salvage the country from total collapse. Mr Mohammed stated, “This declaration is merely the opinions of two persons, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations John Campbell, and the President Emeritus of World Peace Foundation, Robert Rotberg. “Declaring any nation a failed state is not done at the whims and caprices of one or two persons, no matter their status. Just because Nigeria is ...
