Gist Arena

Raymond Dokpesi, frontline contender in the chairmanship race of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says there is no difference between President Muhammadu Buhari as a civilian leader and a military head of state. Dokpesi said the president “locked up” some Nigerians during his military era, recalling how he was incarcerated as the chief of staff of the then Gongola state. He was speaking on Sunday at the PDP secretariat in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, where he went to solicit support for his ambition to lead the opposition party. “I respect Buhari as the president of Nigeria but what he is doing now is not different from what he did as a military head of state,” he said. “He locked up Nigerians for 200 years, some 150 years. As the Chief of staff of Gongola state, I was locked up and my charge was that I held political office.” Dokpesi maintained his innocence on the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)...

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd), has pleaded with ex-Niger Delta militants to shun planned protest while stressing that the federal government that the federal government will commence payments of their stipends on Monday. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of the Media and Communication Department of the office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Abuja, Mr. Piriye Keyaramo, the federal government showed concern for the challenges faced by the ex-militants.  The coordinator, who expressed concern over the plight of the ex-agitators in respect of the delay in the payment of their stipends, explained that President Muhammandu Buhari appreciated their patience and the challenges were being addressed. The statement reads, “President Buhari attaches so much importance to the Amnesty Programme, which explains why the President in his inaug...

SUSPECTED militants on Sunday attacked a major crude oil exports trunk line close to Odimodi community in Delta State.  It was gathered that the trunk line, Trans Ramos, belongs to the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.  Confirming the incident n Sunday night, on phone to Vanguard, a resident of the community, Endoro New-world said: “The incident occurred at about 1.00 am with the velocity of the blast shaking apartments in the community amidst a huge ball of fire.  “At sunrise, a group from the community in company of the SPDC surveillance team was able to locate the site of the blast”.  he attack is coming exactly 10 days after some suspected militants tied up two hunters and left their items, including dynamites, cables and a shovel behind after they failed to successfully excavate the spot to be exploded on the trunk line amidst a heavy downpour.  It was gathered that the hunters managed to escape and alerted the Od...

Former executive director, projects at the NDDC, Tuoyo Omatsuli and his wife Oludewa Jemide welcomed triplets recently. The Warri Big Boy made news last year when he splashed a whopping N4.9 million on a hand made Ermenegildo Zegana 3-piece suit for his wedding held on January 10,2015. 

One of the meat sellers washing the meat in the dirty gutter water A man has exposed the shocking way Anambra meat sellers use gutter and flood water to wash the meat before selling it to unsuspecting members of the public. After seeing this, you might think twice before buying any meat again at the Kwata abbattoir in Anambra State. Stan Nnaka wrote: "I WISH TO DRAW THE URGENT ATTENTION OF ANAMBRA STATE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE HON. COMMISSIONERS FOR HEALTH, SPECIAL DUTIES AND ENVIRONMENT TO WHAT I CALLED A MIRAGE, WHERE OUR PEOPLE ARE GIVEN POISON AT KWATA ABATTOIR. THE PICTURES BELOW IS WHERE THESE ANIMALS WASH THE MEAT WE BUY WITH IDEI (flood) COMING FROM DIKE STREET TO THE ABATTOIR TO IYIAGU AREA. I THINK I HAVE PLAYED MY PART BY CALLING THE ATTENTION OF HEADS OF THEIR UNION. THE STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AS A MATTER OF URGENCY AS IT INVOLVES HEALTH."

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has withdrawn the 2016 admission list it forwarded to different Nigerian Universities. This was disclosed in a statement by the body's spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin released today July 31st. Part of the statement reads  “This is to ensure that the University Senate perform its statutory responsibility of conducting the selection of candidates and refer it to JAMB for confirmation in line with the admission criteria of merit, catchment and educationally disadvantaged states as directed by the Hon Minister of Education at the policy committee meeting,” The earlier list was sent to help fast track the process of admission so as to allow other tiers of institutions also conduct their admission. Candidates should not panic because this is part of the process of the 2016 admission exercise. JAMB regrets any inconvenience this decision would have caused the tertiary institutions. The board regrets any inconvenience it...

Budget and National Planning Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, at the weekend, in Beijing, made a strong case why the Chinese government should assist Nigeria financially in funding critical major infrastructure projects in the country. Senator Udoma who was in China for the Coordinator’s meeting on the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) also used the opportunity to discuss issues of vital economic interest with that country’s Vice Minister for Commerce, Mr. Qian Keming; and officials of China EXIM bank, where he stressed the mutually beneficial relationship the two countries will eventually enjoy if Nigeria’s economy is assisted to grow rapidly. At the Johannesburg Summit in South Africa in December 2015, China had agreed to Assist African countries in ten strategic areas that will help their economy. It pledged $60 billion in aid, grants and concessional loans. Nigeria is t...

A well known Lebanese Mathematics Teacher, Moin Amsuri, who teaches at the Nagarta College in Sokoto state was murdered by unknown gunmen at his residence in Yauri, Sokoto on Thurs. July 28.  The state police spokesperson, El-Mustapha Sani, who confirmed the incident, said the gunmen are suspected to be armed robbers as the deceased Toyota car has been missing since the incident. "The deceased was suspected to have been killed by gunmen who are right now at large. The incident was said to have occurred on Thursday at his residence in Yauri flats, Sokoto, and it was reported to the Gwiwa Police Station on the same day. We are suspecting that the assailants were armed robbers as his Toyota car is still missing,”he said The deceased who taught Mathematics in various secondary schools in the state for over three decades was buried in Sokoto on Friday July 29th according to Islamic rites.

The policemen were said to have allegedly robbed a driver by dipping hand into his pocket and stealing his money A man has narrated how a police officer allegedly robbed a driver after dipping had in the drivers pocket to steal all his money before running away. The story was shared on Facebook by Precious Eze who witnessed the incident. Read below; "ATTENTION PLEASE:  NIGERIAN MOBIL POLICE ARMED ROBBERS ON THE PROW! The Enugu-Portharcourt Express Way (the boundary between Enugu and Abia States) has become a danger zone for men of the Under-World who are actually Mobil Police Officers, stopping and robbing motorists in the name of asking for documents. Today, I experienced their high handedness and high level of idiocy on that road as they pretentiously stopped the ITC Sienna I boarded from Enugu to Owerri and were asking the driver to open the backside glass of a Sienna for them. The driver was quick to ask if they didn't know that ...

Prophetic-Apostolic pastor, Tunde Bakare, who is a one-time Nigerian vice presidential candidate, today in Lagos, played host to Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State at the Latter Rain Assembly Church. The popular Lagos church's took to their Twitter page to announce the presence of the former FCT minister with the above photo and caption,  "@LRAGlobal plays host to Gov. @elrufai and the Church prayed for Nigeria's greatness #NigeriaWillFlourishAgain #lra"

According to an exclusive report by  Premium Times , the sacked former chairman of the Federal House of Representative Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Sunday, released what he said were pictures of one of Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s guest houses, as the budget padding scandal rocking Nigeria’s House of Representatives worsens. Hon. Jibrin who sent the pictures to the publication on Saturday night, said they depicted  Dogara’s guest house located at Vistula Close, along Panama Crescent, in the exquisite Maitama neighbourhood in Abuja. Jibrin had repeatedly said in his allegations that Dogara allegedly looted funds meant for legislative duties to furnish his guest houses and other apartments being personally used by him. The charges were part of the similar ones Jibrin had come up with in recent days, following his ouster from the Appropriation Committee’s leadership on allegations that he betrayed the House leadership and other ...

This man was arrested by the Nigerian army because he was wearing a military uniform, which he was stammering to disclose how he got the uniform, it's hilarious but i pity the man. Watch the video below

Nollywood actor Kanayo Onyekwere, popularly known as Kanayo O. Kanayo, is celebrating his daughter Uloaku Valerie's graduation from Rainbow College - a secondary school in Nigeria. He shared some photos via one of his social media accounts and his caption read, "My daughter, Valerie's graduation from college! Proud dad!"

FCMB Bank Manager Olisa Nwakoby Kills Himself In front Of His Pastor In Lekki Lagos Over N350Million Debt. Mr. Olisa Nwakoby, a manager at a second generation bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc on Friday evening shot himself dead in the presence of his Priest at the Lekki area of Lagos Island, Lagos State. The father of a 10-year- old daughter was said to have taken his own life because of an incriminating huge loan transaction he approved in his bank. Sources close to the family told ST at the weekend that the late Olisa was the approving officer for the loan which the beneficiary is no longer servicing and the bank was on the neck of Olisa to get the money back. His late father, Chief Patrick Oguejiofor Nwakoby was a former chairman of First Bank of Niger Plc, a successfully lawyer , politician and a highly respected community leader before his death. Fear over his integrity and the name of his family, which could be dented if his bank comme...

Owner of DAAR Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, has vowed not to step down for any other candidate jostling for the chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Denying reports that he has withdrawn for Olabode George, a former vice-chairman of the PDP (South-west), Dokpesi said he, in fact, had been busy meeting with delegates across the country. “High Chief Dokpesi is busy meeting the delegates and outlining his programmes for the reformation and rebuilding of the PDP,” his media team said in a statement. “He is not considering stepping down for anyone as he is widely accepted by delegates across the country. He remains the candidate to beat”, it added. The team maintained that Dokpesi had visited sixteen states and will visit the remaining twenty states and the FCT before the convention. Continuing it said, “As at noon of Saturday, 30th July, we have visited all the states in the southern region, except Ekiti, which we...

There are strong indications that the police and Department of State Services have received the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari, to carry out full investigations into the N480bn budget padding in the House of Representatives. Sunday PUNCH gathered on Saturday that the security agencies had already swung into action by scrutinising documents collected from a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, as part of the investigations into the budget padding. Investigations showed that Buhari, as part of his commitment to the anti-graft war was favourably disposed to investigations into the allegations in spite of his closeness to the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara. It was learnt that Jibrin, who visited the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Friday, submitted written demands by four principal officers of the House during the vetting of the 2016 budget by the National Assembly. It was gathered that the lawmaker ...

When next someone brands Nigerians a mass of ethnic zealots who are daily scheming how their ethnic group outpaces the other, you may not necessarily dispute their claims. But make sure to place it on record that there are a few shinning lights; and don’t forget to add that some of these limited but fine examples of ethnic unbias are as old as the country itself. Don’t bring down the curtain on your response, please, if you haven’t mentioned the events of July 29, 1966. It was only six years after Independence, but it was already literally fashionable to be ethnocentric. Not exactly the kind of beginning that was fancied when the sonorous voice of Emmanuel Omatsola, legendary broadcast journalist, announced from Race Course:  Nigeria is a free, sovereign nation . Still, that was what it is. FORESHADOWED CAPITULATION Balewa delivering his Independence Day speech Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the prime minister who delivered Nigeria’s maiden Independence Da...