Gist Arena

President Buhari today showered kind words on controversial cleric, Fr. Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu who celebrated 20 years of priesthood today July 29th. In a statement signed by presidential media aide, Shehu Garba, President Buhari described the cleric as a man who dares to speak the truth to anyone in power. “Mbaka is a great priest who is not afraid to speak truth, even at the cost of his own life or being hated by those in power. He rose to the occasion to add his voice in support of good governance and identify with ordinary Nigerians in the face of despair and uncertain future. Though honest opinions attract hostility from leaders detached from reality, history would be kind to Father Mbaka for courageously speaking truth to power, even at great risks.” he said

Press statement from the PDP... The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its meeting today thoroughly considered a number of very important issues pertaining to the state of affairs in our nation. The NWC brings to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to some disturbing development in the polity which, if not nipped in the bud, might significantly affect our democracy and stability as a nation negatively, and that is the growing and unwarranted intrusion of some over-zealous security operatives on issues bordering purely on politics. In particular, the NWC wishes to draw the attention of the President to the continued intimidation, harassment as well as the hounding, arrest and detention of Electoral Officers and members of election tribunals by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and other PDP states. The NWC notes that this unfortunate development has been the case since the appointment...

President Buhari pictured with Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and president Paul Biya at the Unity Palace in Yaounde..He also received a gift from the Cameroonian president before meeting with the Nigerian community ..

The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced that the Port Harcourt Refinery Company, PHRC and Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC have been successfully re-streamed after a nine-month phased rehabilitation exercise conducted by its in-house engineers and technicians. The Corporation in a statement revealed that both plants have commenced preliminary production of petroleum products after successful test-runs noting that while PHRC is ramping up its operation to about 60 percent of its 210, 000 barrels per day name plate capacity, WRPC production is projected to hit 80 percent of its installed 125, 000 bpd capacity. The NNPC informed that the Port Harcourt Refinery is projected to boost the nation’s local refining capacity with a product yield of 5million litres of petrol per day while Warri Refinery would contribute 3.5 million litres of petrol to local refining capacity. Providing insight into the rehabilitation e...

ISIS has a plan to end the world by engaging in war with the US..According to a recruitment document understood to be written by ISIS militants,the terrorist group's plans for all-out war to bring about 'the end of the world' was revealed . The Urdu document, passed to the American Media Institute by a Pakistani citizen connected to the Taliban, reveals the scale of the ambition of ISIS, including targeting India to provoke the U.S. to intervene.The document, seen by  USA Today,  includes a never-before-seen history of the Islamic State, details chilling future battle plans, urges al-Qaeda to join the group and says the Islamic State's leader should be recognized as the sole ruler of the world’s 1 billion Muslims under a religious empire called a “caliphate.” It reads  “Accept the fact that this caliphate will survive and prosper until it takes over the entire world and beheads every last person that rebels against Allah," "This is the bitter ...

Nigerians are recalling hilarious experiences with their mums in various situations with the hashtag #YouKnowYourMumIsNigerian. More tweets below

Yesterday, Senator Dino Melaye and other politicians escorted Mrs Toyin Saraki to the EFCC head office in Abuja to answer some questions. See more photos below  Photo credit: Sahara Reporters

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said on Wednesday that the newly appointed service chiefs would be screened during plenary on Thursday by 11am. The Senate president, who did not explain whether the screening would be done in either closed or open session, urged members to be seated on time in order to effectively do justice to the assignment before them. President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter, seeking the confirmation of the upper chamber for the appointment of new service chiefs, was read by Saraki on Tuesday. He said the letter for confirmation of the appointments was in accordance with the provisions of Section18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act, 2004. Buhari, on July 13, announced the appointment of Major General Abayomi Olonishakin as Chief of Defence Staff; Major General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff; Air Vice-Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff; and Air Vice-Marchal Monday Morgan as Chief of Defence...

The Lagos State Government has arraigned an Indian-Briton chartered accountant, Deepak Khilnani, before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, over an alleged $8.8million fraud. ‎Khilnani, who was arraigned alongside one Dr. Sushil‎ Chandra, was alleged to have duped his Nigerian partner, Green Fuels Limited, to the tune of $8.8million in 2008. However, Khilnani, who was not in court, was represented by his counsel, Kayode Ajekiigbe. The defendants were arraigned in the court presided by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye. They were facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cheating, stealing and false representation. The prosecution led by Akin George, alleged that the suspects “fraudulently tricked Green Fuels Limited to pay greater sum for machinery purchased from Gentec Limited than it would have paid for such machinery.” The suspects were also accused of making false statement to the Corporate Affairs Commission “knowing same to be false, with intent to defraud the sh...

A 22-year-old British Airways stewardess died suddenly in a hotel in Angola. Emily Dunn, (circled) who had a suspected heart condition, was found dead in her room in Angola after she failed to arrive for a flight back to Heathrow, London, on July 16.  Emily had only started with BA in May and had told friends of her 'joy' at getting her 'wings'.  Colleagues found her dead at the hotel after she did not turn up for her flight. A British Airways spokesman said:  'We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of our colleague, Emily, from a suspected heart condition. She was an enthusiastic member of our cabin crew team who enjoyed working for BA. Our thoughts are with her family and friends'.  The flight from Luanda in Angola to Heathrow she was meant to be working on was cancelled and later flown back to the UK empty.  It came six days after the death of another member of BA staff. Another stewardess contracted malaria and died...

Trust me, I write from the position of knowledge, insight and experience as a relationship coach and counsellor. I have ruminated over the mistakes married women make especially our 21st century Mrs and I thought it wise to share. Why? So that marriages will be saved from further chaos and disintegration. Today’s married women face challenges that are either self-imposed or circumstantially imposed. Self-imposed when you are the cause and circumstantially when circumstances beyond your capability or comprehension forces these challenges on you. Believe me, it is an herculean task to be a woman, especially a married woman. Taking care of the home front is a tedious job. Taking care of your husband is real work. Going through the nine months course is a more laborious venture. And that is why I usually doff my cap for married women, especially responsibly married women! Ouch! Did I touch on something there? Yeap, I know I did. There are married women who are not responsible; no...

President Buhari arrived Cameroon this afternoon. He was received by the Cameroonian president, Paul Biya. See the photos below Photo credit: Sahara Reporters

The National Assembly inaugurated four Committees today to help carry out their core assignment of providing quality legislation. Dino Melaye was announced the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc committee on Publicity. 3 other senators were announced chairmen of 3 other committees... The list of the chairmen of the committees below  1. Selection Committee to be headed by Senator Bukola Saraki. 2. Rules and Business Committee with Senator Babatunde Omoworare representing Osun East Senatorial District as Chairman 3. Ethics and Privileges Committee with Senator Samuel Anyanwu representing Imo East Senatorial District as Chairman 4. Ad-hoc Committee on Publicity is to be headed by Senator Dino Melaye from Kogi East Senatorial District.

The Imo state police command have arrested and paraded a notorious kidnapper identified as Henry Chibueze aka "Vampire". Vampire was arrested after a failed attempt by him and his gang members to kidnap judges of the Imo state tribunal who were lodged at Disney Hotels, along Onitsha Owerri Road recently. According to reports, security operatives in the state who acted on a tip off, swooped on the gang members as they attempted to kidnap the judges. Vampire and his members fled the hotel with gunshot wounds. He was later arrested at his elder brother's house where he had gone to treat himself. When interrogated, Vampire confessed that he operates in many parts of Nigeria, Cotonou (Republic of Benin) and Abijan (Ivory coast), where his family lives. He also confessed to killing some of his victims who were "stubborn" after he kidnapped them. According to him, his wife, who hails from Cameroon assumes he is a clothes dealer. Items recovered...

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari arrived in neighbouring Cameroon on Wednesday for talks on how to combat the escalating regional threat from Boko Haram Islamists. Security was tight for the 24-hour visit, after a surge of Boko Haram violence in Cameroon including an unprecedented series of five suicide bombings in the far north. Presidential guard soldiers were posted on rooftops of houses and along the route from the airport to the presidential palace in Yaounde, while vehicles armed with machine-guns patrolled the streets and access to the hotel where Buhari will stay was blocked. The trip comes a day after Nigeria vowed that a new regional force tasked with fighting the jihadists would go into action soon. Nigeria’s presidency said Buhari’s talks with Cameroonian President Paul Biya were part of his “ongoing effort to build a more effective regional coalition against Boko Haram”. Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks since Buhari took office in May, un...

This South African man @Amandt van Helden, doesn't think well of Nigerians and made his opinion known in a series of tweets yesterday and this morning. He got a response from a Nigerian though. See their chats below ..