Gist Arena

A senator, Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central) on Tuesday accused Senate President Bukola Saraki of preventing members from expressing themselves at the Nigerian senate. The senator levelled this accusation on Tuesday after Mr. Saraki asked him to go straight to the point as he narrated an issue relating to security in his home state of Zamfara. Mr. Marafa had started by explaining how he was invited to a meeting of his state’s council of chiefs in Kaduna, and how an aide to the state governor was allegedly a principal actor in widespread breach of security in the state. He said the security situation in Zamfara was not being reported because the state does “not have strong voices.” Mr. Marafa said the Emir of Zamfara, who is the chairman of the state’s council of traditional rulers, said at the Kaduna meeting of the council that “about 5,000 women, including underage girls, were raped and molested” in the state. Following the lengthy narration, the senate presid

W elcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, led the Principal Officers into the chambers; took the official prayers; and began the day’s proceedings at 10:52am. Senator Magnus Abe moved for the approval of votes and proceedings of Wednesday, 7th February, 2018. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe seconded. POINT OF ORDER Senator Na’allah cited order 43 and spoke on the deterioration of the Kanu Nwankwo’s heart foundation and the need for the Senate committee on Banking to bring the foundation and the bank where the management of his foundation acquired loan from back. Senator Na’allah also cited order 43 and spoke on the mishap happening in his constituency which has led to the death of 20 persons. “Nwankwo Kanu served this nation very well. He was an active footballer. Nwankwo also played for one of the best clubs in the United Kingdom Premier League.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubak

T he Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as being under a trance. Mr. Soyinka, who expressed frustration about what he described as the unforced errors of the Buhari administration, made the comment at a press briefing on the increasing agitation across the country following attacks by armed herdsmen on farming communities. When asked during the briefing what he would tell Mr. Buhari if he met him, Mr. Soyinka replied: “I would say: Mr President, I think you are under a trance,” he said. “The sooner he gets out of it the better. So many unforced errors are going on,” he added. Mr. Soyinka cited Mr Buhari’s recall of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, after he was suspended for alleged graft by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, as a recent example of the unforced errors that has characterised the government.

A fter a year 2017 that she would rather forget in terms of her business and brush with the authorities, amiable society lady and billionaire business woman, Hajia Bola Shagaya is about to smile again as one of her sons, Seun, is set to wed the daughter of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s Vice President. Fondly called Kiki, the VP’s daughter, who owns an Abuja-based beauty salon, Glam d’Africa and Seun have been dating for a while before deciding to get married. We are told that the wedding ceremonies have been fixed for March 15th-17th. That is not all, our source has also revealed that Kabir, another son of Hajia Shagaya, who is the Senior Managing Director of e-commerce company, Zippy Logistics, will also be getting married in July. Source: The Boss Newspaper

A video of a two year, 11 month-old pupil of Chrisland School, Lekki, Lagos portraying her alleged serial defilement by the school’s supervisor was played today at the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court. The video was played during the testimony of Miss Olive Ogedengbe at the trial of Adegboyega Adenekan, 47, a Supervisor at Chrisland School over defilement of a child. Proceedings lasted from 11a.m. to 3.03 p.m. Ogedengbe, a clinical psychologist, is an expert in sexual and reproductive health behaviour in children and adolescents.
 She has over 10 years work experience with children and adolescents, the court heard. The video recording (Exhibit A1), depicted the child, named Child X, in the clinical psychologist’s office on Nov. 28, 2016 answering questions about the alleged defilement from Ogedengbe and her colleague. Chrisland School, where Child X was serially raped by school supervisor In the recording, Child X was given a sheet of pa