Innocent Ojefia Blog

Prominent Nigerian leaders, including Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, as well as President of the Senate, David Mark, refused to show up at the country’s centenary celebration which opened yesterday in Abuja. The three leaders were not part of the International Conference held as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 100 years of amalgamation. The event was graced by about 30 heads of governments and international organizations. No reason was given for their absent, but sources said it might be unconnected to the ongoing national unrest. However, three former leaders, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Ernest Shonekan, as well as ex-Vice President, Alex Ekwueme and a former Chief of General Staff, Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya (retd.) graced the event. The conference with the theme, “Human Security, Peace and Development: Agenda for 21st Century Africa” was held under tight security at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. ...

  The Abiola family believes their late patriarch deserves more than a centenary award. The family of the late M.K.O Abiola has rejected the posthumous Centenary award to the winner of the 1993 Nigeria’s presidential election. Kola Abiola, the eldest son of the late politician and businessman, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the award was “not appropriate.” “For us, what the government is doing is laudable. But our family will only accept what is appropriate. If what they are trying to give him is a gold award for the centenary, we don’t consider that to be appropriate,” Mr. Abiola said. “With a gold centenary award, it means we have not left where we were when they tried to rename the University of Lagos after him. We said then that it was inappropriate,” he added. The Federal Government had shortlisted 100 persons to be honoured with Centenary awards as part of Nigeria’s Centenary celebration. By turning down the award, the Abiola family joins the families of late ...

      The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Wednesday described as false, rumours of an imminent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol.   This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim, the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC. In the statement, the NNPC stated that there were no plans by the Federal Government to increase the price of fuel in the country. The corporation also reassured Nigerians that there was enough supply of fuel in the country at the moment. It urged motorists not to indulge in panic buying as there were enough products to last the country for several weeks. The corporation stated that the re-emergence of long queues was due to hoarding by filling station owners in vain anticipation of fuel price hike. It implored filling station owners to refrain from hoarding, to help lessen long queues. The NN...

     The 78-year-old pastor of the world’s largest Pentecostal church convicted of embezzling $12 million told ... his congregation on Sunday that through “this suffering” he had learned that ”an individual shouldn’t possess anything.” “Besides health, status, fame, authority, money… these are all matters that are outside the body and unworthy of any pursuit,” Pastor David Yonggi Cho told Yoido Full Gospel Church, in Seoul, South Korea. Cho added that he hopes that God forgives him for his actions. “God forbid, if God calls me back today, I will still be able to go to the Kingdom of God,” he said. Cho was sentenced to three years in prison last week after he was convicted of directing officials to buy stocks from his son at four times the market price. The church subsequently lost US $12 million, according toThe Gospel Herald. Cho was also convicted of tax evasion. The pastor, who founded his church in 1958, now must pay back $4.6 million. Cho’s son, H...

   Contrary to the claims by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu that the corporation did not team up with some Swiss oil dealers to defraud the country of $6.8, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed has said his claim was untrue. According to Ahmed, the corporation did not disclose the sum of $22.8 in its audited financial statements through alternative funding arrangement with its joint venture partners. Nigeria had reportedly lost about $6.8billion as of 2013 to the connivance, which the ‘Bernes Declaration’ said involved the sale of Nigeria’s crude oil below international prices. While testifying before the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Petroleum Resources, Upstream and Downstream, probing the allegation, Ahmed alleged that the country lost N98.3 billion to NNPC in exchange rates compared to Central Bank o...

        The enduring infrastructure disparity between public  and private schools in   Delta State is gradually coming to an end with the inauguration of ultra modern primary and secondary schools in the state. The traditional old schools structures and poor facilities in most public schools across the state are now giving way for ultra modern schools structures. This was evident by the inauguration on Tuesday and Wednesday of about six secondary and primary schools that were in a state of disrepair in Warri, the commercial nerve centre of the state. The inauguration which  was performed by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan witnessed a large turnout of prominent indigenes of the area who expressed admiration for the laudable projects. The education reform policy of the state government has turned over 50 public schools in the state into classic citadel of learning. At the inauguration of the schools, Uduaghan urged the teachers, pup...

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Wednesday alleged that Nigeria National Petroleum Corpooration (NNPC) did not disclose about $22.8 billion dollars in its audited financial statement. Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this at the ongoing House of Representatives investigation into allegations of connivance of NNPC with Swiss oil dealers to rob the country of billions of dollars. She said the local refineries were unable to utilise 445,000 barrels of crude per day, explaining that this forces NNPC to engage in alternative transactions by importing. According to her, the alternative transactions amounted to $22.8 billion that was not disclosed in the corporation’s audited financial statements. “NEITI observed that these transactions which sum up to $22.8 billion are off balance sheet items (not disclosed in NNPC’s audited financial statements). The implication is that there may be significant contingent liabilities to the Fede...

                Dear Compatriots, 1. I extend warm greetings and felicitations to all Nigerians as we celebrate our nation’s centenary; a significant milestone in our journey to Nationhood. 2. One hundred years ago, on the 1st of January 1914, the British Colonial authorities amalgamated the Southern and Northern Protectorates, giving birth to the single geo-political entity called Nigeria which has become our home, our hope, and our heritage. 3. I have often expressed the conviction that our amalgamation was not a mistake. While our union may have been inspired by considerations external to our people; I have no doubt that we are destined by God Almighty to live together as one big nation, united in diversity. 4. I consider myself specially privileged to lead our country into its second century of existence. And as I speak with you today, I feel the full weight of our hundred-year history. But what I feel mo...

  … Hears His Suit Challenging President Jonathan’s Power March 12  Hearing in the suit instituted by the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, to challenge the powers of President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend him comes up on March 12 as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole , Wednesday , refused his application to be reinstated as the CBN governor on the ground that it would be unfair to grant such an application without affording the respondents a hearing. The embattled CBN Governor had filed the application on February 24, asking the court to make an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from obstructing, disturbing, stopping or preventing him in any manner whatsoever, from performing the functions as the CBN Governor and enjoying in full, the statutory powers and privileges attached to the office. Maintaining that any delay might cause irreparable...

In this Interview with theNetng, Maheeda opens up on growing up ,having a baby at 17 and being an orphan. On sex A lot… I'm  addicted to  sex, and I have to have sex everyday.At least once everyday, and if there’s no guy around me, I’ll help myself by masturbating. I have a lot of sextoys; in fact, I’m a regular customer. It’s like food to me, and you have to eat. It is very healthy and it gives you the right curves and my body is used to it. Yes! Sometimes I just squirt, like when am having sex, and because I am used to it and my body needs it. On her recent  trip to Europe It was for business. I went for a birthday party of one  big shot  and all I needed to do was just sit down and cross my legs and then I got money in my account,  which was pretty cool.No. I just sat down, sipped some champagne and  made some money . I just went to cross my legs and made $3000.It was just an appearance. Isn’t that cool? Because they want to see that...

    L-R:NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr Andrew Yakubu (right), with members of the House Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream, Upstream and Justice, investigating the alleged connivance of NNPC with Swiss Oil dealers to rob Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday (25/02/2014) The Finance Minister has released a statement calling for an urgent independent probe of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. The statement said,” the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has asked for urgent action with regard to an independent forensic audit of conflicting claims of unaccounted funds made by the NNPC and suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallan Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Dr Okonjo-Iweala added, ‘my position on this has been clear from the start. The ministry of Finance’s reconciliation showed a shortfall of $10.8billion in NNPC remittances to the federation account. After this, the conflicting claims c...

From L-R) Mr. Moses Ogbe , Chairman , Delta State Independent National Electoral Commission ; Deputy Governor , Prof. Amos Utuama ; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State ; Prof. Attahiru Jega , Hon. Chairman , Delta State Independent National Electoral Commission and Rt.Hon. Victor Ochei , Speaker Delta State House of Assembly AHEAD of 2015 general elections, the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has said, credible elections can be conducted with the active participation of Nigerians. Governor Uduaghan who stated this on Monday, February 25, 2014 at a seminar organized by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Asaba said political parties rather than apportion blames on the electoral umpires, they should be actively involved towards ensuring credible elections in the country. He decried a situation where political parties prepare for violence and post-electoral liti...

Orubebe The governorship ambition of the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, may have hit the rocks as the South South Youth Political Forum (SSYPF) vows to stop him over his failure to attract meaningful dividends of democracy to the people during his tenure as minister. National Chairman of SSYPF, Alaowei Promise Lawuru, in a statement made available to Blank NEWS Online, shortly after a meeting with delegates from Burutu, Delta State, said: “We the youths in South-South are not pleased with Orubebe’s performance because he failed to touch the lives of our people during his tenure. “We will, therefore, not support such a man who didn’t have the pains of Deltans and the Niger Delta people at heart. At our meeting on whether to work for Orubebe or not, we gave reasons, why Orubebe cannot become Uduaghan’s successor and at the right time before the primaries, they shall be published.” Meanwhile, Orubebe who recently declared his governorship...

COMMISSIONING:  from right;  Chief Willson Eboh, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Chief Emmanuel Okumagba and Commissioner for Bassic Education, Prof. Patrick Muoeuoghare during the commissioning of Olodi Primary School, Warri built by the state government in Warri yesterday.  Photo: Henry Unini Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan on Tuesday took his campaign of a clean Delta to schools with a charge on teachers, pupils and stakeholders of schools across the state to imbibe the clean culture. Governor Uduaghan gave the charge while inaugurating 64 ultra modern classrooms at Olodi Primary School and Cavegina Primary School both in Warri, renovated and rehabilitated by his administration. Dr. Uduaghan who also charged various school heads in the state to provide green environment in their respective schools, placed a ban on the use of public schools for social engagements at weekends. The Governor who took turn to address the pupils, teachers a...

Wrecking Ball rider Miley's raunchy antics have led to parents calling for the entire tour to be scrapped with sources claiming arenas are threatening to pull out Miley's lewd antics have reportedly caused the complaints to flood in Controversial singer Miley Cyrus's new world tour has been hit with a flood of complaints over her lewd behaviour with outraged parents calling for it to be cancelled. The American, whose fan base is mainly children and young teenagers, has been seen miming a sex act on a man wearing a Bill Clinton mask and lewdly groping one of her backing dancers while performing in a number of adult outfits. One costume sees her gyrating on stage in a glittery leotard adorned with cannabis leaves. Her Bangerz tour is due in the UK in May with thousands of teenagers expected to attend. The 21-year-old built her fan base while playing Disney's wholesome Hannah Montana however since leaving the show she has become one of pop's most c...