Gist Arena

The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum says the October 1st ultimatum given to Igbos residing in the region still stands. Recall that the group had a meeting in Kaduna state in June where they gave the ultimatum. Speaking to journalists in Kano state today, the chairman of the forum, Shettima Yerima, said the quit notice still stands for Igbos who are adamant in leaving Nigeria to form another country. Yerima added that the order exempts Igbos who still believe in the existence of Nigeria.  “We stand by our notice to Igbo but those who are interested in Nigeria can stay. But for those who are not interested, you can go.Our mission is for peace; the unity of Nigeria is being threatened by the current agitation from the Igbo and we want to make sure that those who are interested in Nigeria stay but those who are not interested should go. The purpose of town hall meeting in Kano is to review the early stand took and we are collecting views of people here from the northwest. W

R eport reaching DAILY POST says the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, and members of the Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, are currently in a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Osinbajo’s meeting with PANDEF is coming few days after the forum gave the Federal Government November 1 ultimatum to implement its 16-point agenda. Stakeholders of the oil rich region attending the meeting alongside Clark include the Amayanabo of Brass, Alfred Diete-Spiff; a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah, Don Etiebet. Others are, Timi Alaibe, Ewa Henshaw, Tony Uranta, Hosa Ogunbor and Godknows Igali amongst others. Source: DailyPost

N igeria’s ailing President Muhammadu Buhari who has been away in London for almost three months has become the subject of a sports betting game in his homeland. A popular sports gaming site, NaijaBet.com, is asking those interested to stake their money on when Buhari who left Nigeria on May 7 on his latest medical trip to the British capital, would return. The company usually focuses on English Premiership, Champions League and other sporting events, but recently launched the ‘Buhari to Return’ game: ////YOU CAN BET ON IF HE WILL RETURN ON THE 2ND WEEK OF AUGUST OR THE 4TH/// The 74-year-old Buhari first sought treatment in London in June last year for what presidency officials said was a persistent inner ear infection, returning in six months for check-ups that were later said to be “a long period of treatment”. Buhari himself admitted on his return to Abuja in March that he had not been that ill before. Despite Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s acting on his

Nigeria’s Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has directed the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to intervene and ensure that the Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia States, enjoys 24 hours supply of electric power. The city of Aba is noted for its huge commercial activities, while the Ariaria Market is one of the most popular markets in the southern part of the country. Mr Osinbajo’s directive, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Presidency, followed a “strong and persuasive case” made for the market by the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu. A team from the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is said to have already visited the market for a technical study to collect data that would determine the market’s power requirements. The leadership of various clusters in the market is said to have agreed to assist the REA with all the support required to implement the project. The President, Aba Chamber of Commerce, Emma Nwakpadolu, than

I n 1971, after my primary school education, poverty drove me to Lagos to find something to do to help my poor mother and siblings. Civil War devastated my father’s thriving business in Onitsha and we all suffered from 1966 to 1970 when the war ended. With four wives and 34 children, my parents could not cope any more. My brothers and sisters dropped out of school to learn a trade. Because I was a little ‘sharp’ in school, my father encouraged me to finish primary school. It is needless here to recall how I and few of my siblings survived to finish our primary education. Consequently when my mates were taking Common Entrance Examination, I did not because there was no need to do so. No money, no three square meals a day, no good clothing, just nothing. My mother encouraged me to travel with friends to Lagos. We landed at Sawmill Ebute Metta where I worked as a sawdust carrier at seven Shilling, six Pence a day. My job was to pack sawdust from the Machines to the Lagoon f

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved 27 new industries and products to enter into the pioneer status to give tax holidays to them for three years, to enable them to grow and expand investments. The list was last reviewed in 2006 and the approval was to bring the industrial policy of the country to global best practices. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, gave the hint while addressing State House Correspondents on the decisions of FEC. "The FEC gave approval to a memorandum that was presented to amend the list of pioneer industries and products that will enjoy pioneer status going forward. "The pioneer incentive scheme is governed by the Industrial Development Income Tax Relief Act. "The whole purpose of it is to give tax holidays to industries that we consider pioneer, not mature, to enable them to grow and attract investment in them," he said. He said that the list covered a

The group which was operating around ikorodu axis of Lagos, killed a lot of people before the government declared war on them. They usually smash human head while killing them. Watch & Share Credit To Emenike Iroegbu

N igeria’s Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, on Thursday attributed wastage of resources by state governments to non-compliance to tax payment by many Nigerians, especially at the state level. Mrs. Adeosun, who made this known during a Facebook LIVE video chat tagged “Tax Thursday”, said many state governments get away with wastage and corruption because many Nigerians don’t contribute to the resources at the state level. While responding to questions during the tax programme monitored by PREMIUM TIMES, the minister said governments at the state levels will become more responsible when Nigerians hold them accountable. Mrs. Adeosun, however, noted that the citizens would hold them accountable only when they pay their taxes, adding that such action is part of their duties. “It is our duty, this is our national duty. People get very patriotic about Nigeria; being a Nigerian is not about the flag, it is about doing the right thing…,” she said. She explained further

W ith 2019 getting close, political permutations are beginning to flow and now Sahara Reporters is saying sources have revealed to them that the opposition party, PDP has quietly settled for Atiku Abubakar as its Presidential candidate and Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose as VP.

T he leader of the Independent People of Biafra IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has advised acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, to be mindful of the comments he makes regarding the struggle for the actualization of Biafra. In a statement released by his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor yesterday, Kanu said a comment Osinbajo made when he met with some Igbo traditional leaders in June, was not only provocative but also unacceptable. Kanu claimed Osinbajo told the Igbo leaders that the agitation for Biafra is unconstitutional as it offends section 2 of the 1999 constitution, 2011 [as amended] and that those behind it arrested and imprisoned.  ‘This declaration is respectfully considered as not only provocative and unacceptable but a clear case of undue interference with judicial process, which have the capacity of distorting the mindset of the judicial officer seized of our client’s case. It is important to remind the Acting President that our client’s present political trial originated from his l

O ne Pastor Timothy Wanyioke was caught pants down with his 21-year-old pregnant sister-in-law in Nyeri Town, Kenya on Wednesday. The 40-year-old bishop and his lover, Scholar Kariuki were caught having sex by the latter's husband Kariuki Macharia. After finding the two in his one-bedroom house, Macharia descended on Wanyoike with kicks and blows, saying the two had been having the illicit affair for the last four years. He said he had been monitoring his wife’s text messages and decided to lay a trap by pretending he was away on a field assignment. Residents trooped to the estate and followed the drama which included the pastor’s attempt to defend himself. Wanyoike’s wife, Margaret, also joined the scuffle and started beating him in anger. Watch video at the link below:

T hose that are calling for restructuring are looking for appointment. When they say they want restructuring what they mean is that they want an appointment....... some people told us Nigeria is a "geographical expression" although it was not even original to them"- Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Your Excellency, I trust that you are well despite the fact that your principal is still at large. Permit me to take this opportunity to respond to your gratutious insult and your irresponsible and irreverant assertion about those of us that have been at the forefront of the fight for restructuring our nation for many years. However before doing so I shall make a few observations and assertions of my own. You have constantly condemned and warned against what you call "hate speech" in our nation yet you indulge in it more than anyone else. I say this because you constantly call others, particularly members of the opposition, "looters

Starting today, August 3rd, bus conductors in Lagos will be required to wear a uniform and name tags for easy identification. This information was disclosed by Comrade Israel Adeshola, the National President of the Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria, BCAN. According to Adeshola, the Lagos State government has approved the association’s uniforms and badges with name tags and identification numbers for easy identification of registered conductors. He said: ‘’The re-branding of bus conductors in the state which is in partnership with the Lagos State Government is a project that has been in the master plan of the state government in a way to stem criminal activities and also protect the lives and properties of Lagosians".  He called on Lagosians to support the initiative. Source: Vanguard

T he Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday nominated Bolaji Owasanoye, a professor of law, as the new Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC. Mr. Owasanoye will steer the affairs of the anti-graft agency for next five years with 13 other members whose tenure is for four years, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The new chairman takes over from Ekpo Nta, whose five-year tenure expired in June and who has been redeployed to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages as a full-time commissioner. With his appointment, Mr. Owasanoye becomes the fourth substantive chairman of the commission since it was established by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 1999. The past chairmen were Mustapha Akanbi and Emmanuel Ayoola (both justices) and Mr. Nta. Four others were chairmen in acting capacity. They were Uriah Angulu, a professor; Rose Abang-Wushishi; and Abdullahi Bako, a lawyer. The 54-year old Mr. Owas

P reparatory to the take-off of the electronic commerce system in the country, the Nigeria Post & Telecommunications service, NIPOST, says it was adopting a system that would improve the delivery of its services. The “what3words address” is an innovative global addressing system designed to help the postal service increase the number of homes it is capable of delivering to. The NIPOST said in a statement on Wednesday that Nigeria was the seventh country, and the third in Africa to adopt the system, already in use for mail deliveries in Mongolia, Saint Maarten, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Tonga and Solomon Islands. Reputed to be Africa’s largest economy with over 180 million people, Nigeria is noted to have a poor addressing system that allows only 20 per cent of its inhabitants to receive their mails at home while only about 478,000 boxes are available in the post offices. To redress the situation and improve its services, NIPOST said it had set a target to rais

A former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday gave insight into how the Umaru Yar’Adua administration allegedly jettisoned his administration’s reforms. Mr. Obasanjo made this revelation at the launch of a book titled, “Making Africa Work”, co-authored by the former president and three other authors. The book, which was unveiled in Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday, was co-authored by other writers including Greg Mills, Director of Brenthurst Foundation; Jeffrey Herbst, President of NEWSEUM and Dickie Davis, a retired major general. The former president said the real problem bedevilling Nigeria and the African continent is not the shortage of policies and economic roadmaps, but what he called ‘leadership problem.’ “We are not short of policies; In fact, go to any government office or some international organisations, you’d find hundreds of policies and recommendations,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “So what is the problem? I’d say three major things and

A Lagos businessman, Alaka Abayomi, arrested by the police for alleged involvement in the latest attack by Badoo, the deadly cult group in Ikorodu, has denied owning up to the crime. The 51-year-old said in a statement Wednesday through his lawyer that he neither spoke nor wrote a statement to the police in connection with the cult group. He was detained on July 30th after police officers lured him to the Police Command Headquarters, but has been released on Tuesday, Bartholomew Aguegbodo, his lawyer added. The Lagos State Police Command had said Mr. Abayomi, who lives in Magodo, was arrested following intelligence reports that he was working with the dreaded group. According to the police, Mr. Abayomi’s arrest led to the police’ invasion of a shrine allegedly owned by the cult group in the Agbowa area of Ikorodu on Monday. The police said Mr. Abayomi confessed to knowing others who own shrines in the area before leading the officers to the Badoo cult’s shrine.