Gist Arena

Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has been released from prison. He was released a few minutes past noon upon a court order.  His media aide, Mr. Tony Elumenor confirmed the release to Vanguard. Ibori was sentenced by a United Kingdom court to prison for 13 years and served out his term midnight yesterday.  Expectation of his return home to Nigeria, however, remains murky as friends and associates many of who are gathered in London deliberate on the future of the former governor.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has said that the Nigerian Army would be raising up cattle ranches in such a manner that in almost all the divisions, and all the brigades, cattle will be reared. Buratai who was represented by the Chief of Army Logistics, Major General Patrick Akem, stated this on Tuesday at the Commissioning of Mogadishu Cantonment New Mammy Market (former Abacha Barracks), Abuja.  The Army Chief disclosed that in keeping up with modern cattle rearing tradition, he sent officers of the Army to Argentina to look at how cattle were reared.  “Argentina has a population of 41 million people, but it feeds about 400 million people around the world with its beef.  To take it to the next level, we want to adopt a system where the cattle are not just free ranging coming from Sokoto to Port Harcourt, thereby making their meat tough to eat, the products will soon be coming from our own farms and ranches,” ...

As the Christmas celebration draws close, the Lagos state government yesterday said it will commence the sales of the much awaited Lake Rice tomorrow.  The sale, earlier scheduled for December 15 at a cost at N13, 000 per 50 kg has been re-scheduled to commence tomorrow at some specific locations across the state. It was however gathered the late arrival of the rice was due to unexpected delay in production.  However, a state official who preferred anonymity, told Vanguard that the price of the 50 kilogram bag of the rice has been reduced to N12, 000, against the earlier speculated N13, 000. The new sales points are said to super cede the previous ones earlier announced by the Special Adviser to the state Governor on Food Security, Mr. Sanni Okanlawan, who said the commodity will be made available at the 20 Local Government Areas, and 37 Local Council Development Areas.  The new locations are: Lagos East; Ikorodu-Odogunyan Farm Servi...

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as an irresponsible and corrupt organisation that cannot prosecute any meaningful fight against corruption as “corruption can never fight corruption.” The governor who, commended the judiciary for standing firm against the EFCC tyranny, said the way and manner the commission has been going about shopping for court orders against Nigerians should concern lovers of rule of law in the country. Reacting to the Monday’s Federal High Court, Abuja judgment, ordering the EFCC to release all his properties were attached based on the order of the court made on July 20 and August 2, 2016, Governor Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka said,  “It is the height of irresponsibility and fraud for the EFCC to have approached Justice Okon Abang for a similar order and concealed the fact that the order...

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, at the weekend disclosed that the commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have set up a committee to look into the possibility of legalising the use of the digital currency, the Bitcoin, for transactions. According to Bitcoin.org, Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network. The website says Bitcoin is an open-source, its design is public, nobody owns or controls Bitcoin and everyone can take part. Unlike traditional currencies such as dollars, naira, the euro, etc., bitcoins are issued and managed without any central authority whatsoever: there is no government, company, or bank in charge of Bitcoin. As such, it is more resistant to wild inflation, devaluation, import policies, currency fixing and corrupt banks. It is a t...

The Church of England has appointed Nigerian clergyman Revd Dr, Woyin Karowei Dorgu as the first black bishop in 20 years. On Tuesday, December 20th, Downing Street announced that the Revd Prebendary Dr Woyin Karowei Dorgu, currently Vicar of St John the Evangelist, Upper Holloway, and Woolwich and a Prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral, will be the new Bishop of Woolwich. He succeeds the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave who is now the 99th Bishop of Lichfield. He will be consecrated in Southwark Cathedral on St Patrick’s Day 17th March 2017. Dr Dorgu was ordained Deacon in 1995 and Priest in 1996 and has serve all his ministry in the Diocese of London. His curacy was at St Mark, Tollington Park and since 1998 he has been building the community of faith at St John, Upper Holloway. Born and raised in Nigeria, Dr Dorgu worked as a medical doctor before ordination. He has a deep concern for mission and regularly leads open-air evangelism in his parish and has seen...

Aggrieved women in Kafanchan, Kaduna State yesterday came out half naked to protest the incessant killings by suspected herdsmen in the Southern part of the state. The area have over the last six months, witnessed repeated attacks by suspected herdsmen. The women, mostly elderly, marched to the government house and demanded to see the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai. They were allowed in to have a meeting with him and as they left, they began to destroy some of the cars in his garage. Photo credit: Sahara Reporters

President Buhari has signed eight bills into law. A statement released by his spokesperson on National Assembly matters, Ita Enang, says some of the bills are the National Judicial Institute Amendment Act 2016, Advertising Practitioners Registration Amendment Act 2016, Utilities Charges Commission Amendment Act 2016 and Quality Surveyors Registration Amendment Act 2016. Others include Small and Medium Scale Industries Development Agency Amendment Act 2016, Treaty to Establish African Economic Community Relating to Pan African Parliament (Accession and Jurisdiction) Amendment Act 2016, University of Abuja Amendment Act 2016 and Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers Amendment Act 2016.