Jonathan’s Critics Should Move On – Aide

A former Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Reno Omokri, has advised critics of the past government to desist from castigating the policies of the immediate past government.
Omokri, who stated this on his official Twitter handle on Thursday, said since the elections were over, politicians must build “rapprochement and reconciliation” rather than encourage bitterness.
He said it was foolish for Nigerians to curse their leaders.
He said, “Elections are over. We must build rapprochement and reconciliation. When siblings fight to death, strangers inherit their father’s estate. I have moved on. Former President Goodluck Jonathan has moved on. He will be leading Commonwealth observers next week. Haters and critics should also move on.

Hillary Clinton grilled 11 Hours Over Benghazi Attack

Hillary Clinton stood her ground through a grueling 11 hours of questioning over the 2012 Benghazi attacks, parrying Republican blows at a high-stakes congressional hearing that could impact her bid for the White House.
Partisan fireworks exploded repeatedly between Republican and Democrat members of the House Select Committee on Benghazi during the marathon grilling that at times took on the character of an interrogation.
But the Democratic frontrunner for president was relentlessly composed as she accused her rivals of exploiting the deadly attacks in Libya — which came under her watch as secretary of state — for political gain.

Kifasi Hands Over To Oyo-Ita As HSCF

The outgoing Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mr Danladi Kifasi has called for more attention towards the provision of welfare support for civil servants.

Kifasi made the call while presenting his hand-over notes to the Acting HCSF, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita yesterday in Abuja.

According to Kifasi, the desire to motivate civil servants for higher productivity has always been constrained by lean budgetary allocation.

He said it had become imperative to adjust expenditure to meet critical needs, sustain operations and ensure effective service delivery to the public.

Kifasi maintained that he had kept faith with the oath of allegiance he took on assumption of office 13 months ago, serving the country dutifully and faithfully.

In her remarks, Oyo-Ita thanked Mr. President for the opportunity given her to serve as head of service and given recommended Kifasi for his insight and service to the nation.

She stressed the need for civil servants to be innovative and to reposition themselves to deliver timely and quality services to meet the desire of the people. (NAN)

#NewFromNiegria

Check out Top 5 Sports Personalities Making Nigeria Proud

Nigeria is a sports loving country. This can be observed during the weekends when people in cities like Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt flood various stadiums and bars to watch the English premiership and other local and international sports tourneys.

Patriots donning the green white green national colour are always proud to step out to represent this country and put the nation in the headlines of the international sports media.

While many remain fans for the rest of their lives, a few others rise through the ranks to global acclaim as superstars in track and field events.

Blessing Okaghare

This Sapele born athlete is Nigeria’s best-known track and field sports personality. She first came to limelight when she won a bronze medal in the long jump event at the Beijing Olympics in China in 2008.

Her versatility led her to add 100 and 200 metres to her list of events. She compete in these events and has been very successful so far.

Her sterling performances in Africa and at international events have won Nigeria international acclaim and recognition.

Chika Chukwumerije

Chika is the son of late Senator Uche Chukwumerije. He is best known for fighting in the sports of Taekwondo. His prowess in Taekwondo saw him inducted into the World’s Taekwondo Hall of Fame in New Jersey, as an ‘outstanding male African Olympic player’ in 2009.

He won a gold medal at the 2007-all Africa games and in honour of his immense contribution to Nigerian sports, he captained Nigeria to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. His dedication to training and determination to win has endeared him to many.

Chika has fought 39 registered fights and won 20 out of them according to Taekwondodata.com. Jovago.com, Africa’s Number 1 rounds up 5 sports personalities making Nigeria proud around the world in various international sports.

Asisat Oshoala

If you peruse a list of female football players in Nigeria, Oshoala will be number one on that list.

Her dribbling skills, eye for goals and team play won her the first ever BBC Female World Footballer of the year. She defeated female football superstars like Marta-Brazil, Nadine Kessler-Germany, and Kim Little Scotland to emerge the winner.

According to the Guardian: “Oshoala, who became the first African footballer in the Women’s Super League when she signed for Liverpool in January, won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball at the 2014 Under-20 World Cup, where she scored seven goals in six matches.

Aruna Quadri

He played table tennis as a hobby when he was young. But, today he is known all over the world as one of the best ping pong players. The peak of his career came in 2014 when he was declared the International Table Tennis Federation, ITTF, star player of the year.

This was indeed a well-deserved award as he defeated the best including the Chinese players, the purported owners of the ping pong game to scoop the award. It was a moment to savour for many Nigerians!

John Mickel Obi

Mickel Obi came to the consciousness of football fans across the world at the 2005 U-20 FIFA World Cup in Netherlands.

His telegraphic passes and sleek ball distribution made football pundits name him a talent for the future. He won the silver medal alongside other team members at the tourney. He was even billed to replace Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha in the in midfield position of the National team.

Today, Mickel Obi plays for Chelsea, one of the top teams in England. He is a key player for the team and has won the English Premiership, the Champions league and the African Nations cup. He is one of the few decorated Nigerian players after the great Kanu Nwankwo.

Ogunfowoke Adeniyi

Travel/Technology Writer

 

 

#Nigeria

Photos: Ambode chairs Lagos state inaugural executive council meeting

Lagos state governor Akinwunmi Ambode and his newly sworn in commissioners and special advisers, had their inaugural executive council meeting at the Lagos House in Ikeja, yesterday October 22nd. Continue to see more photos..

Dayo Adeneye nominated as a commissioner in Ogun state

At a plenary yesterday October 22nd, the Speaker, Rt.Hon. Surajudeen Ishola Adekunbi read out ta letter from the Governor of Ogun State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, wherein names of five additional commissioner nominees to be screened today October 23 by 11am. were contained. The following names are: Mrs. Modupeola Mujota. Mr. Adedayo Adeneye. Mrs.Adenrele Adesina 4.Mr. Babajide Odubanjo. 5.Mr. Adewale Oshinowo‎. Big congrats to him.

Grandmother rescued from collapsed building dies

The 82-year-old woman, Alhaja Mistura Ahmodu,  who was rescued from a three-storey building that collapsed on Swamp Street, Lagos Island, on Wednesday, is dead.
Her granddaughter, Shukura Ishola, told PUNCH Metro on Thursday she died around 5pm on Wednesday at the Lagos Island General Hospital, alleging that medical personnel at the hospital did not attend to her immediately they got there.

One stabbed as armed robbers rob motorists in Lagos traffic

One man was stabbed during an armed robbery incident along the Costain-Eko bridge yesterday night. Motorists who were in traffic as they returned from work were robbed of their valuables by robbers who were armed with pistols, hammers, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. The robbers smashed the glasses of motorists and demanded for their phones, bags and other valuables. In some cases, the motorists were the ones who had to wind down their car windows and hand over their belongings so that there cars will not destroyed. Also at Oshodi yesterday night, a lady was robbed of her belongings by some hoodlums. The spate of armed robbers attacking motorist in Lagos has increased in recent times. Please the government needs to work on the security of our lives and property.

Robert Mugabe wins World's Nobel Peace Price

Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe has been awarded the Confucius prize, China's version of the Nobel prize. The 91-year old beat off competition from Bill Gates and South Korea's president Park Geun-Hye.  A statement from the prize committee declared that Mugabe had helped to improve the welfare of his people, despite his continual use of intimidation and detainment.
'Ever since Robert Mugabe was sworn in as the president of Zimbabwe in the 1980s, he has worked hard to bring political and economic order to the country and to improve the welfare of the Zimbabwean people by overcoming hardship,' the statement said.

Photos: NDLEA smash cult group in Abia

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abia State command have smashed a group of suspected cultists located in Aba. The suspected cultist are identified as Valentine Obinna, 23 years old; Amadi Amaechi, 24 years; Okonkwo Pascal, 30 years; Dike Chizoba, 30 years; Prince Lucky Chukwu,25 years; Chimezie Kingsley, 24 years; Emmanuel Kanu, 21 years; and Nwanakwere Peter, 22 years.

Photos: EFCC arraigns former Adamawa Commissioner for N20m Land Fraud

A former Adamawa State Commissioner for Finance and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, John Elias, was yesterday October 22nd arraigned before Justice B.B Aliyu of Federal High Court Yola, Adamawa State over a N20 million fraud. A statement from EFCC states that Elias allegedly sold and appropriated some properties, which are under interim forfeiture to the Federal Government.
Continue..

Oby Ezekwesili's son Vs Ohimai : U're a Grasshopper... No Home training!

One of Oby’s child – Chine Ezekwesili began the dramatization by offending Ohimai Amaize over his choice to leave PDP which he reported on twitter yesterday. The previous Special Adviser wasn’t going to take it and took to twitter to reply Chine. Online networking is sweet and depleting. haha. See their offending tweets to one another bellow.

#NaijaGist

Many feared Dead As Suicide Bomber Explodes Itself in Maiduguri

A suicide bomber assaulted a mosque in Jiddari-Polo close Federal High Court in Old GRA Maiduguri, Borno toward the beginning of today. Many are feared dead while numerous others are said to be injured. more details later

#Maiduguri

Dozens Dead After Truck Collides With Bus in France

A bus and a truck have collided in Gironde province in southwestern France, leaving 42 people dead.

The incident took place in the town of Puisseguin. Both vehicles were on fire after the collision. French President Francois Hollande twitted that the government "is fully mobilised on this terrible tragedy".

Photos: NDLEA arrest student, 4 others over possesion of 10. 255kg narcotics

A 26 year old student Okonkwo Daniel Anagor and four others identified as Lawal Monsuru Ademola, Ogbonna Donatus Chigozie, Okoro Chibueze Augustine and Okpue Ernest Ifeanyi have been arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for suspected drug trafficking.

EFCC arraigns two businessmen for failure to declare over $4m found on them

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned two businessmen identified as Ojukwu Nnamdi Rowland and Ngene Linus Chibuike before Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos on one count charge bordering on bulk cash movement and money laundering.
Ojukwu and Ngene who are businessmen and were traveling to China for business, were arrested after failing to declare US$2,917,272 (Two Million, Nine Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Two United States Dollars) and US$2,506,998 (Two Million, Five Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Eight United States Dollars) found on them respectively at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport on October 8th.

7 inmates get combined total of 20yrs in solitary confinement after recording & uploading rap video while in prison (photos)

Seven inmates at Kershaw correctional institution, South Carolina have been given at least 1000 days each in solitary confinement amounting to a total of twenty years. Their offence? The men who are serving sentences for crimes ranging from manslaughter to robbery recorded a six minute music video and uploaded it to WorldHipHop where it went viral. They have also seen privileges taken away, including visitation hours.

Top 10 approaches to Develop a Heart of Compassion

COMPASSION is a heart that trusts in another’s best when they feel they’re the most exceedingly terrible. We all have such circumstances when we feel useless and futile, and who we need is somebody with sympathy; that they may truly consider us, to be we are, as commendable people of regard in, and particularly in, Eledumare/God’s company.

Now and again we can’t inspire everyone around us and this, for a few, makes life vile. At that point there are times when we have fizzled, or been sold out, or when we endure dejection and misfortune.

Here are eleven approaches to develop within us the heart of compassion for others:

1. Find somebody more terribly off than you and Pray to Eledumare/God for that person. Truly ponder where they are at. Ask Eledumare/God that they feel enriched in some great way.

2. Look for someone who can’t help disagrees with you and agree with them. Take their side.

 

3. Find out about a part of the world you previously had no clue about. Look for a section in their presence where they are less fortunate than you. Pray Eledumare/God meld that in your psyche and watch how the Irunmole/Spirit works.

4. Where another has an issue with you, go to them, and make peace.

5. Reverse you’re understanding. Stand in the other individual’s shoes. Go intentionally against your sentiments. Stay there for a period. Watch your heart mellow.

6. Utilizing your will, forget somebody you have detested for quite a while. Pardon an act  utilizing your basic capacity to choose.

7. Envision a percentage of the ways you’ve hurt Eledumare/God, and unobtrusively relate these before him in request to Eledumare/God. Feel your heart recuperate all the while.

8. Notice the person you’ve favored. Notice the person you’ve dissed. Notice how inclination has hued your point of view far from empathy.

9. Go to an exhibition hall or take a history course or watch a history narrative on YouTube. Appreciate feeling littler than you typically feel. Enjoy with appreciation the straightforward way of being alive on the cusp of time.

10. Give somebody your fullest consideration, and continue doing as such.

***

Hearts of compassion make a difference in the world, but not so much in terms of innovative advocacy. Hearts of compassion make this difference: they honour God in the small matters of simply being true in the moment. Hearts of compassion see through the lens of Eledumare / God with magnificent acuity. This is because they have thrown off the self and put on love. Can there be any better way to live? No, it’s the abundant life is this!

 

 

#RelationshipAdvice

Ministerial Hearing: Drama As PDP Senators Keep Mum As Amaechi Is Screened

After repeated delays in the screening of former governor of Rivers state Rotimi Amaechi by the senate for a ministerial post, he eventually faced the lawmakers on Thursday.
He was the first to face the senators for the day, followed by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
Amaechi arrived to the senate chambers accompanied by the All Progressive Congress (APC) chairman John Oyegun and other party leaders.

“We’ll Recover All Looted Funds”..Osinbajo

THE Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has restated that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will recover all looted funds and fight corruption to a standstill.
He said this Thursday in Ibadan at a conference on corruption held at the University of Ibadan.
At the conference entitled, “The Predicament of Corruption and the Quest for Holistic Development in Africa”, the All Progressives Congress government said to achieve this, all relevant institutions would be strengthened.

New INEC Chairman: Buhari Is A Sectional Leader, Says Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described the appointment of yet another northerner, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a vindication of his position that “President Mohammadu Buhari is a sectional leader, who sees himself mainly as leader of the Hausa/Fulani, and not that of the entire people of Nigeria.”

Corruption Not Nigeria’s Primary Problem – Nwabueze

The Igbo Leaders of Thought, an association of prominent Igbo personalities, led by foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, on Thursday said corruption was not Nigeria’s primary problem.
The Igbo leaders stressed that while President Muhammadu Buhari engages in the fight against corruption, he should equally address other critical problems, particularly what they described as the ‘Nigerian question’ – the dysfunctional federal system practiced in the country.
Nwabueze made the group’s feelings known after an extensive meeting in Enugu, which lasted several hours.

War Would Have Happened If Herdsmen Killed Me – Falae

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, has said if he had been killed by the Fulani herdsmen, who kidnapped him, there would have been an outbreak of ethnic war between the Fulani and the Yoruba people.
The elder stateman, who was kidnapped on his farm in Ilado village, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday, September 21 and freed on September 24, 2015, noted that he survived the abduction through the grace of God as the abductors attempted to take his life during the captivity.

Nigeria ‘Hires Mercenaries’ Against Boko Haram To Meet December Deadline

Nigeria has hired about 250 mercenaries from South Africa to help in its war against Boko Haram insurgents, a Turkish news agency has reported, quoting military sources.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave a December deadline to the military to end the insurgency in the north-east.

APC Gets 48, PDP, 45 Chairmanship Seats As House Of Reps Speaker Named 96 Committees

After months of politicking and horse trading, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on Thursday, announced the names of chairmen of the 96 standing committees which are to carry out the part of the fundamental work of the House.

The sharing of the committees was done by the selection committee chaired by the Speaker, body of principal officers and appointed members each from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

The sharing showed that 48 chairmen and 55 deputy chairmen of the standing committees were alloted to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 45 chairmen position, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had one and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had two.

The committee chairmen, as announced by the Speaker included: Abdulmumin Jibrin who will chair the House Committee on Appropriation; Bashir Baballe Ila will chair the House Services Committee; Babangida Ibrahim will head Finance Committee; Zakari Mohammed will chair Basic Education and Services Committee; and Jagaba Adams Jagaba will head Committee on Interior.

Some lawmakers, however, retained the headship of the committees they chaired in the seventh assembly and they are: Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Agricultural Production and Services; Aminu Suleiman, Tertiary Education; Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Aviation; Nnenna Ukeje, Foreign Affairs; Jones Onyereri, Banking and Currency; Shehu Shagari, Judiciary and Nicholas Mutu, NDDC.

Also on the list are Rima Shawulu, Army; FCT Area Council & Ancillary Matters – Zephaniah Jisalo and Gas Resources, Agbedi Frederick.

Others are: Health Institution, Betty Apiafi; National Planning & Economic Development, Jephter Foingha; Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Victor Nwokolo; Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Akinlaja Joseph; Ports, Harbour & Waterways, Patrick Asadu; Power, Daniel Effiong; Public Procurement, Wole Oke; Science & Technology, Beni Lar and Works, Toby Okechukwu.

New members were not left out in charing the committees and those named as chairmen are: Oladele Kayode, Financial Crimes; Samuel Okon Ikon, Inter-parliamentary Relations; Timothy Golu, Legislative Budget and Research, among others

Seven new committees were named and they are Agricultural Colleges and Institutions; Basic Education and Services; Delegated Legislation; FCT Judiciary; Health Institutions; IDPs, Refugees and Initiatives on North East; Insurance and Actuarial Matters; Tertiary Education and Services.

Tribune.

#NewFromNigeria