Innocent Ojefia Blog

Most Africa observers believe Donald Trump will ignore the continent or at the most put the relationships Presidents Obama and Bush had built there on the back burner. While it’s true Trump does not see Africa as the central plank to his foreign policy, his black and white views of the world in regards to radical Islam may prove to be a perfect lens on how he will deal with the African continent. Right now, the main way the USA fights radical Islam on the African continent is through Africom.  Africom , is one of six of the US Defence Department’s “geographic combatant commands and is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for military relations with African nations.” Given the fact that Africom works with a number undesirable leaders, the main one being President Buhari of Nigeria, Trump may decide to tweak these relationships due to leaders like Buhari who are compromised by radical Islamic ties. Israel as a Key Player As Israel makes  serious inroads  into...

Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, Nigeria, has signed the N308.9 billion 2018 appropriation budget into law after its passage by the State House of Assembly. The Governor signed the N308.9 billion bill, into law in Asaba today Monday, December 18. Present at the signing of the budget was Speaker of the State Assembly, his colleagues and Clerk of the House and a host of other top government officials. The venue for the event was Governor’s office of the Government House, Asaba. 

Former vice president, Atiku Abaukar is expected to return to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) but will likely face stiff competition in the party. Atiku resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, November 24 citing failure of the party. Although he has not officially announced the party he is going to, there is huge speculation that the former vice president will return to the PDP to contest for the 2019 presidency. Getting an automatic ticket may not be easy however as other PDP members who have expressed interest are intensifying their own campaign. Alhaji Sule Lamido who is a member of the party has shown interest in running for presidency on the platform of the PDP and pulled a mammoth crowd in Jigawa which he addressed.  Meanwhile, former president, Goodluck Jonathan reportedly sent a message to Atiku to go and beg Chief Olusegun Obasanjo if he wants to get the PDP presidential ticket. The Nation reports that Jonathan r...

Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe, 93, was reportedly offered a $10 million lump sum payment, full monthly salary, medial cover, security as well as protection of his private properties, as part of a deal that led to his resignation. This came as reports indicated this week that the nonagenarian was also granted immunity from prosecution after his resignation as the leader of Zimbabwe on Tuesday. According to The Independent, negotiators managed to strike a deal with the country’s army generals to enable Mugabe not to go into exile but rather enjoy his retirement in Zimbabwe with all his benefits. “Government will give him $5 million lump-sum and then the remainder to be paid out in instalments,” the report quoted a source as saying. “Mugabe will also enjoy full medical cover as well as his full monthly salary. In the event of his death, his wife will be given half salary per month.” Zimbabweans witnessed the inauguration of their new president Emmerson ...

The All Progressive Congress, APC, has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan is not corrupt. Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC who declared this in an interview said no right-thinking person would accuse the former President of corruption. “I don’t think even the worst enemies can accuse Dr. Jonathan of being a corrupt person, I don’t think so, I don’t see anyone in this country that would say Jonathan is personally corrupt, ” Abdullahi said in an interview with Mercy Abang of Gatefield Television. But the APC had in 2015 accused former President Jonathan and his Government of looting N11.11trillion while in office. Lai Mohammed, the former APC spokesman and current Minister for Information had accused Jonathan of leading the “massive”, “spine-chilling” and “mind-boggling” looting of the nation’s treasury. The party then listed the funds unaccounted for by the Jonathan Government to include: – 3.8 trillion Naira out of the 8...

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2021, the Liga leaders confirmed, ending speculation that the five-times world player of the year could leave the club where he has spent his entire career for free next June. “FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi signed on Saturday morning a new contract that will keep the Argentine superstar at the Club through the 2020/21 season,” said a statement from Barca, posting a picture of Messi signing the deal alongside president Josep Maria Bartomeu. “The buyout clause was set at 700 million euros (626.25 million pounds).” Messi, 30, agreed the new contract with Barcelona in July but the club did not release the usual photo of the player putting pen to paper, fuelling speculation he could depart in June 2018, when his previous deal ran out, for free. Messi is Barca’s all-time top scorer with 523 goals in all competitions and has won eight Liga, five King’s Cup and four Champions League titles sin...

Time magazine  has disputed  Donald Trump 's account of how he rejected a request for an interview and photo session ahead of its "Person of the Year" issue. The US president tweeted on Friday that Time had called to say he was “probably” going to be named as the winner, and that he at the time turned the offer down. He wrote: "Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named 'Man (Person) of the Year,' like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. "I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!" Time later posted a tweet of its own disputing Mr Trump's account It read: "The President is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year.  TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6." Mr Trump frequently brags about appearing on the cover of the famous magazine, and has falsely claimed to hold the record for cover appearances....

Maina is still receiving salary weeks after the president fired him. Tell us a better 'joke'. Abdulrasheed Maina, former boss of the pension reform task force who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 23, 2017 for defrauding pensioners, is still receiving his monthly salary. What’s better, work files are still being dropped on Maina’s desk as you read this. Maina’s lawyer,  Mohammed Katu  who appeared before the House of Representatives committee investigating Maina’s shameful re-emergence and reinstatement at the federal civil service, told lawmakers that his client has done nothing wrong, which explains why he’s still getting paid by the State. " Maina had to disappear because there was a serious threat to his life,"  Katu said. "Maina is still receiving salaries. 23 files were sent last month in his capacity as acting director (in the ministry of interior), even while he was absent”. Another report says the 222 properties re...

When it is said that Delta State is PDP and PDP is Delta State, the opposition parties in the State deliberately refuses to accept that naked truth.   Right from the time of Chief Ibori’s administration, at every election it has always been the same pattern with major opposition parties in the State not being on ground mobilizing the people towards electoral victory.   Opposition parties in Delta State largely play their politics on the pages of newspapers and most recently on social media platforms. They erroneously believe that popularity on those platforms is synonymous with popularity on the ground.   As we move towards the forthcoming local government election in the State, the story is not different. Presently, the Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is leading the PDP campaigns from one local government area to the other, foraging into every nooks and cranny mobilizing the people at the grassroots to support PDP.   At one of the stops, Governor Okowa e...

Fresh revelations by the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC, Abdullahi has revealed that Yar'Adua considered ex-convict, Ibori as running-mate.  Former President of Nigeria, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, wanted to pick former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, as his running mate in the 2007 presidential election instead of Goodluck Jonathan. This is contained in a new book, entitled  ‘On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria’,  written by Bolaji Abdullahi — who served as a minister under Jonathan from 2011-2014 Abdullahi claims that after three governors from the South-South — where vice-presidency was zoned to by the PDP — had been ruled out for one reason or the other during deliberations, Yar’Adua asked Nuhu Ribadu, then-chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), about Ibori. This got President Olusegun Obasanjo angry and Yar’Adau quickly made a u-turn. Abdullahi wrote:  “During deliberation...

Atiku Abubakar has accused the All Progressives Congress of failing Nigerians as the reason why he dumped the party.  A former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar has made public his reasons for dumping the All Progressives Congress as he said, the party failed him and many other Nigerians. In a letter he wrote on Friday, Atiku accused the party of arbitrariness, unconstitutionality, and factionalization as the reasons for the division in the party. Speaking about his annoyance, Atiku said:  "On the 19th of December, 2013, I received members of the All Progressives Congress at my house in Abuja. They had come to appeal to me to join their party after my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had become factionalized as a result of the special convention of August 31, 2013. The fractionalization of the Peoples’ Democratic Party on August 31, 2013 had left me in a situation where I was, with several other loyal party members, in limbo, not knowing which of...

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has dumped Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Atiku in a statement narrated his reasons for leaving the party. The former vice president who challenged President Muhammadu Buhari for the APC ticket in the build up to the 2015 elections did not indicate the new party he would join. Many members of the main opposition PDP, a party Mr. Abubakar helped form, have, however been asking him to rejoin the party. Read Mr. Abubakar’s full statement below. On the 19th of December, 2013, I received members of the All Progressives Congress at my house in Abuja. They had come to appeal to me to join their party after my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had become factionalized as a result of the special convention of August 31, 2013. The fractionalization of the Peoples Democratic Party on August 31, 2013 had left me in a situation where I was, with several other loyal party members, in limbo, not knowing which of the parallel ...

Finally, there is serious excitement in Zimbabwe as Emmerson Mnangagwa, the sacked vice president under ousted Robert Mugabe, becomes the country’s new leader. His swearing-in ceremony has just commenced. The sack of Mnangagwa had resulted in a wide-spread anger in the country which caused a military take-over and the subsequent removal of Mugabe. Throughout the period the military held the country down, Mnangagwa went into hiding. Amid cheers from the crowd, Mnangagwa took oath of office today, promising to protect and promote the rights of the people of the country. He further promised to discharge his duties to the dictates of his conscience and the well-being of the people. While administering the oath of office, the chief justice reechoed section 96, subsection 1 of the country's constitution, which Mugabe relied upon to resign from office. He reminded the people that the Zanu-PF nominated Mnangagwa as its candidate. Details later…

·                Here is a story no one likes to tell or even the hear. Selling Black African slaves in auctions held on the African continent in this 21st Century may sound far-fetched to many. ·          The incredulity of this matter compelled the CNN to dispatch its investigative journalists to Libya to ascertain the veracity of modern-day slave auctions organized routinely to buy and sell Black Africans whose luck may have run out as they desperately risk everything to escape their countries in sub-Saharan Africa to seek greener pastures in Europe and elsewhere. The American journalists were led to a typical slave auction venue inside Libya to confirm the fact. Further research show that hordes of migrants from the West African countries of Niger, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroun, Liberia, Mali etc leave their home countries in droves to escape mass impoverishment and dearth of economic opportunit...