Innocent Ojefia Blog

Champions League runners-up Liverpool, Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Serie A side Napoli have been thrown together in the pick of the groups. Following the draw for this season’s Champions League made on Thursday, their group could already be referred to as the ‘group of death’. The trio were drawn into Group C alongside Red Star Belgrade, European Cup winners in 1991 and making their debut in the group stage. Group A Atletico Madrid Borussia Dortmund AS Monaco Club Bruge s – – – Group B Barcelona Tottenham Hotspur PSV Eindhoven Inter Milan – – – Group C Paris St Germain Napoli Liverpool Red Star Belgrade – – – Group D Lokomotiv Moscow Porto Schalke 04 Galatasaray – – – Group E Bayern Munich Benfica Ajax Amsterdam AEK Athens – – – Group F Manchester City Shakhtar Donetsk Olympique Lyonnais Hoffenheim – – – Group G Real Madrid AS Roma CSKA Moscow Viktoria Plzen – – – Group H Juventus...

It is unfortunate that the most important statement made so far at the on-going Annual Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association, an outright derogation of the supremacy of the rule of law, has not yet generated any coherent response from either the Bar or the Bench. President Muhammadu Buhari was guest of honour on Sunday at the NBA Conference and he had the additional responsibility of declaring the Conference open. In his address, he told the gathering of eminent lawyers and judges that his administration will prioritise national security over and above the rule of law. The “rule of law” often sounds like a catchy phrase among lawyers, and there have been so many confusing interpretations of it, especially by politicians, compelling Martin Kettle to advise in  The Guardian  UK , of November 25, 2006, that “we need leaders who better understand the rule of law.” Kettle is right because here is what President Buhari reportedly said: “….Rule of law must b...

Since the beginning of Nigeria's fourth republic in 1999, the present administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari is unarguably the worst. The failure of the incumbent administration to live up to expectations, within and outside Nigeria, relegates every measure of the towering hope that welcomed it.  The current president of  Nigeria  has consistently proved to the world that he is undeserving of leading this magnificent country of 180 million extraordinary people imbued with unimaginable potential. The  Nigeria  that our current president projects in the world, is a backward, ignorant, antiquated, unalluring, visionless, confused, unimaginative rudderless country. At different times when president Buhari has had the opportunity to blisteringly fly the flags of  Nigeria  before the world, he unabashedly sullied it instead.  So when I learned that the unscrupulous president of the...

The Delta Government says it will mitigate the inconveniences faced by corps members in camp during their orientation period. Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa said this at the swearing-in ceremony of 2018 Batch ‘B’ stream 11 orientation course for corps members deployed to Delta. Okowa, represented by Mr. Jude Someone, the state Commissioner for Higher Education, said the state government would ensure that the scheme succeeded in Delta. He said that the state government was determined to strengthen and deepen relationship with the scheme to drive rural transformation and achieve prosperity for all. He said that government must steadfastly engage youths and ensure the creation of enabling an environment for them to exercise their talents. He said that government would continue to be magnanimous even in the face of economic recession. The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr. Benjamin Omotade, said that 2,123 corps members were registered as at the close of registration on Wednesday night...

Sule Lamido, a presidential candidate in the platform of People Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, described the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), as a warehouse of thieves. The former Jigawa State governor stated this while speaking with Nasarawa State Working Committee of the party and delegates at the PDP Secretariat in Lafia the state capital. He said if you are a thief in any political party and if you run to APC the party would receive you and accommodate you and the president Buhari would not send EFCC after you again. Former Governor of Jigawa State said President Muhammadu Buhari is an incompetent leader, adding that Buhari’s led government is leading the country to destruction if allowed him to continue in the next four years. According to Lamido, “Most of the APC members were one time in PDP and they have attained greater positions, but when they were threatened by the present government for misappropriations and other related issues, they decamped to the ...

I just can't help wondering what more a man could ask for after founding a party, serving as a Commissioner, SSG for 8 years and another 8 years as an Executive Governor. The BIG QUESTION people should be asking about the defection of former Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan to APC is what does he stand to benefit from the APC and what contribution can he bring to Del ta State as a passenger that he couldn't achieve as a driver in charge of the wheel of progress of Delta State? This is a man who was not known to be a doctor with any well-established Clinic, Hospital or Business before his cousin a PDP National Leader Chief James Onanefe Ibori brought him into politics and made him commissioner for health, SSG and finally Governor. When he was a sitting Governor he couldn't use his office and power of a Governor to win election as a Senator, he couldn't produce his successor in office, is it now that he's out of office that he thinks he can win an elec...

British Prime Minister,  Theresa May,  has arrived Abuja, Nigeria and is currently been received by  President Muhammadu Buhari  at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. Other top government officials are also on ground to receive the British PM who is making a first visit to the country since she became Prime Minister in 2016. The two leaders will hold discussions, as well as sign vital defence and economic agreements involving Nigeria and the UK. The British Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Lagos state during her visit to Nigeria. She is accompanied by a 30-man business delegation as part of her efforts to  “deepen and strengthen”  partnerships around the world as the UK prepares to leave the European Union (EU) next year. Former prime minister, David Cameron had in 2013, visited Africa for Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, says it believes Nigeria needs a strong and healthier president to run its affairs for the next four years from 2019. Yinka Odumakin, the National Publicity Secretary of the group, stated this on Monday against the backdrop of a statement credited to the U.S. President, Donald Trump, that his meeting with Mr Buhari sometime in April was “lifeless”. An article published in Financial Times said Mr Trump told his aides after the meeting that he never wanted to meet a person “so lifeless again.” “The US President may have some issues, but on this one, he is right,” Mr Odumakin told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone. He said Nigeria is certainly one of the important nations of the world and would not be doing well to have Mr. Buhari, who has a history of medical vacation abroad, to manage her sundry challenges beyond 2019. “Nigerian presidency is one of the most demanding in the world, and one of the most powerful ...

British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said yesterday that Nigeria is the home of the highest number of poor people in the world.  Speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, where she is currently on a state visit, the Prime Minister said Africa is home to a majority of the world’s fragile states, and a quarter of the world’s displaced people.  According to her, Africa has the highest number of poor people in the world, and that 87 million Nigerians are living below the poverty line of $1 and 90 cents per day.  May’s statement is also coming months after the Brookings Institution named Nigeria the poverty capital of the world, overtaking India, a country with a total population of about 1.3 billion people. “Much of Nigeria is thriving, with many individuals enjoying the fruits of a resurgent economy, yet 87 million Nigerians live below $1 and 90 cents a day, making it home to more very poor people than any other nation in the world,” Prime Minister May said.  ...

British Prime Minister Theresa May has begun the five-day African tour that will see her visit South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya as part of her post-Brexit efforts at deepening UK’s trade partnerships. While the PM will visit the popular Robben Island while in South African and also meet President Cyril Ramaphosa for discussions, she will also deliver a keynote speech in Cape Town, on how trade and UK private sector investment can be brought to Africa post-Brexit. Her latter meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya are likely to include issues of insecurity in both Commonwealth African nations where governments have been battling the rise in terrorism in the last few years.

Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso (PDP, Kano) will officially declare his presidential ambition for the 2019 election on Wednesday. Senator Kwankwaso who recently defected to the PDP would slug out this position with more than 8 other presidential candidates from the party. His declaration was made known in a statement by the Kwankwaso Presidential Campaign Committee on Monday. The statement, signed by a member of the committee Mr. Taiwo Adekanla,  stated that Kwankwaso would join the presidential race at a rally to be held at the Eagle Square in Abuja. The statement noted that the Kano Central Senator seeks to  “embark on massive infrastructural turn-around across the country. “This includes the judicious management of the nation’s resources without necessarily mortgaging the future of the country on excessive foreign loans and its attendant burden. “This will eliminate insecurity in all its forms across the country and return Nigeria to the path of prosperity,” ...

The National Assembly joint committee on electoral matters has adopted and approved the sum of N143 billion as INEC fund for 2019 election. After rounds of defence and several meetings between the Independent National Electoral Commision, led by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the legislators, the sum of N143b was approved. Senator Suleiman Nazif reports that at the Executive Session, the Joint Committee sat and deliberated the position to adopt the N143b as presented by Mr. President. — The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) August 27, 2018 INEC is expected to re-present the N143bn as requested by Mr. President, INEC has an opportunity to reprioritize and appear before the Committee tomorrow by 1pm. — The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) August 27, 2018 The meeting is adjourned till Tuesday, 28th August, 2018, Naija News reports. Nigeria is set to hold another round of general elections in 2019 to elect a new set of public office holders.

The Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has said that Deltans are celebrating unity and peaceful co-existence as a people. Speaking at an interdenominational thanksgiving service held in Asaba to mark the 27 th  anniversary of the creation of the state, Governor Okowa went through memory lane and thanked traditional rulers, religious leaders and all Deltans for agreeing to live together as one and in peace. “There is a lot of reason to thank God; if you can recall when the state was created, you knew how the state was, but the peace that we witness today is more than enough reason to thank God,” Governor Okowa said. He continued, “the peace that we witness in the state today does not just indicate peace alone, but proof that we are united, our traditional rulers are united and they are speaking with one voice; it was not so in 1991, but we thank God for where we are today, you can feel the impact of that unity and peace in the state.  “We have c...