Gist Arena

Dear Mr. President, It’s been quite a summer. The world is not a pretty place right now but I see you have had a chance to play golf. In fact you’ve played golf through the worst of it. Right after announcing that American journalist James Foley had been beheaded. Now I play golf and I enjoy it. But I’m not president of the United States… so I have a little more time. But I digress. Let's skip on down to the really important part... I hope you’ll read closely. There will be a quiz. We are at war, sir, whether you like it or not. One of your predecessors said this when our country was being threatened… "Hostilities exist. There is no blinking to the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. I ask that that congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, a state of war has exis...

one patient discharged, two still in isolation The number of death from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country has increased to seven. The latest to die of the virus is the female patient who was on admission in the same hospital with the Port Harcourt Doctor, Iyke Enemuo. Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu disclosed the death of the female patient  in his latest update on the virus in the country . “Total number of deaths from Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria is now seven (7).  One (1), the index case, occurred in a private hospital in Lagos, four (4) in the Lagos isolation ward, one (1) in the Port Harcourt isolation ward (the female patient who was on admission in the same hospital where the late Port Harcourt doctor was also admitted), while another one (1) was the doctor who was infected by the ECOWAS Commission official in Port Harcourt and who did not come under the care and management of the Incident Management Committee.” He also noted tha...

Jude 'Engees' Okoye's wife Ifeoma Umuokeke Okoye (right) was spotted in a shopping mall in Atlanta this week looking beautiful pregnant. Next to her is Jim Iyke's rumoured  new 'whatever she is', Sandra Benede. Jude and Ifeoma tied the knots in July.

Nigeria’s Health Minister Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has today revealed that students could go back to school by Mid September in the country. The Education Ministry though Minister  Ibrahim Shekarau had formerly stated that school is to start by October 13 due to the spread of Ebola virus in the nation. Chukwu however disclosed this at to the State House correspondents at the end of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan. The briefing was attended by the Ministers of Information, Labaran Maku, Transport, Umar Idris, National Planning, Abubakar Suleiman and Power (State), Mohammed Wakil. Chukwu revealed that the Education Minister Ibrahim Shekarau will announce the particular date after meeting with states Commissioners for Education and other stakeholders, who helped to fix the proposed October 13 date. Health Minister also gave a report on the state of the nation as concerning the Ebola recent surg...

Nigeria’s ruling party, The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has hit back at the opposition All Progressives Congress, after the APC said recent allegations by a government-appointed Boko Haram negotiator, show that senior PDP members and allies of President Goodluck Jonathan are masterminds of the sect. At a press conference Tuesday, the APC demanded the immediate trial of a former governor of Borno State, Modu Sheriff, a PDP member; and a former army chief, Azubuike Ihejirika.  Both former officials were named by an Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, as Boko Haram sponsors. The chairman of opposition party, Odigie Oyegun, said revelations by Mr. Davis show the federal government had wrongly accused the APC of being behind Boko Haram. “They have called us all sorts of derogatory names, but failed to provide any shred of evidence to support their claim,” Mr. Oyegun said. The APC chairman described Mr. Sheriff as a man known to all Nigerians as the founder of Boko Ha...

Sex Therapist, pastor Funmi Akingbade says the average Nigerian man is not the most patient lover. In an interview with City People magazine, pastor Akingbade said Nigerian men see foreplay and other activities before intercourse as a waste of time. She says to have a bliss marital life, great sex must be incorporated and that the woman should not be seen as an object just to 'release' into. Excerpts from the interview below..  How would you describe the Nigerian man when it comes to sex? The Nigerian man is always in a rush when it comes to sex. They rush into it and quickly rush out once they "come". Every driver that wants an accident-free trip must drive safely, know his road signs, have good driving skills and be a good observer. This is also true with sex because marital sex is a journey and not to be done in a rush. Those who want to succeed in marriage give their sex life a lot of attention and sex is what makes it different and wonderf...

The pic above shows the horrific injuries a teenage girl suffered after her jealous boyfriend bit her lip during a violent attack. 18 year old Chantelle Ward said her boyfriend, 23 year old Rhys Culley sank his teeth into her flesh during a kiss after asking her if she loved him. Chantelle said Rhys was jealous and insecure and attacked her after a fight about Facebook. Continue Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court saw pictures of angry teeth marks in Miss Ward's upper lip after the attack, during which he smeared her own blood around her face and forced his tongue in her mouth. Culley, who had been in a relationship with Miss Ward for over two years, denied wounding with intent but was found guilty after a trial. He will be sentenced next month and has now been remanded in custody.   Chantelle Ward Jurors heard Culley bit down on  the victim's lip with the same force that would be needed to bite through a 1cm thick piece of rubber. As well as the gruesome "v...

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has debunked rumours of Ebola cases in Abuja and Calabar and said the case in Kaduna is still under investigation. He also said that another patient has been discharged from the Isolation center in Lagos after being certified free of the deadly virus. He addressed a few other issues in a series of tweets via his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Mr Dan Nwomeh. See the tweets below

Those who are hoping that Christ Embassy Head Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his estranged wife Anita Oyakhilome will resolve their issues and get back together, shouldn't hold their breath as the woman is said to have vowed to divorce the pastor Chris.. Speaking with Premium Times through her lawyers, Mrs Oyakhilome said her relationship with her husband had terribly degenerated that there is no room for any reconciliation or out-of-court settlement. Find the full report after the cut... Premium Times had contacted Mrs. Oyakhilome through her lawyers, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, after news broke that she had filed for divorce, to enquire whether any out-of-court settlement option was being explored. In their response Tuesday, her attorneys said there was no chance the estranged couple would ever live as husband and wife again. “It is with great sadness that our client, Pastor Anita Oyakhilome, has come to the conclusion that her marriage to Pastor Christian Oyak...

A widow and three men who are members of a robbery gang that specialize in terrorizing and robbing motorists along the Mile2/Badagry Expressway, have been arrested by men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command. The robbers; Sera Emmanuel (31) the widow, Ismaila Morufu (30), Musaalobi Abdullahi (29) and Opeyemi Akinyemi (30), were arrested on August 27th along the Sango-Ifo road by Iyana-Iyesi in Ogun state. The armed-robbers allegedly confessed to operating daily at some bad spots around Mile 2/Badagry Expressway, Mile 2/Apapa Expressway, Agege/Oshodi, Oworonsoki, Alapere, Bariga, Ikeja and Onipanu.  The Nation reports that while confessing to the crimes, the widow Sera Emmanuel, said she was the one responsible for supplying guns to the gang. “I was born in 1983 and I am from Abeokuta. I buy guns for the gang and it was Ismaila that gave me money to buy guns for the gang. I went to Idiroko and bought two guns at N15, 000 each for the gang. T...

Yesterday there were  reports  that a student of Law at Ahmadu Bello University, showed symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus, but fortunately he's tested negative to the virus. According to Premium Times, authorities of ABU and the Kaduna State Government had sent the patient’s blood to Lagos for testing after he reportedly manifested some symptoms associated with Ebola while on admission at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital.  The state Commissioner For Health, Thot Dogo, had told Premium Times yesterday night that the result of the test was being expected on Wednesday afternoon (today). But Ebola Alert, an authoritative evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals working on Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the country, told Premium Times laboratory test has shown the student does not have the virus. An official of the group, who simply identified himself as Ladi, said the test, concluded earlier on Tuesday night, came out negative....

There are new reports on the messy divorce of one Nigeria’s favourite couples, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his wife, Rev.Anita. SAGA The hopes of many Nigerians that the couple will work out their differences and reconcile has been dashed as new reports suggest otherwise. According to City People Magazine, Rev. Anita’s lawyers, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, a UK-based full-service law firm have confirmed the separation. City People Magazine stated that, Stephen Goddard in a reply sent today said: “It is with great sadness that our client, Pastor Anita Oyakhilome, has come to the conclusion that her marriage to Pastor Christian Oyakhilome has irretrievably broken down and regrettably there is no hope of any reconciliation.” We can confirm that Pastor Anita Oyakhilome has commenced divorce proceedings in London as she resides in the UK.” Meanwhile on Sunday, August 31, it was reported that Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his wife Rev.Anita’s divorce saga has caused ...