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Some states outside the five South-east states that Kanu said would be part of Biafra have said they should be counted out. They include Rivers, Kogi and Benue. In Kogi, the Igala Socio-Cultural Group expressed disgust over their inclusion in Biafra. A spokesman of the group, Mr Barry Moses Idakwo, noted that the inclusion has made nonsense of the ancient Igala nation. The group pointed out that Nigeria is a democratic country where citizens should be allowed to live peacefully and secured as prescribed by laws. “The agitators for Biafra have marginalisation as the main plan for their grievances. It is therefore unthinkable to annex the Igala kingdom without consulting us,” Idakwo said. In Benue State, a former Minister of State for Education, Professor Jerry Agada, said Idoma land should be left out of the purported Biafra territory. He warned agitators of Biafra to stop the inclusion of Idoma people in particular and Benue State as a whole in their map. According to hi...

No fewer than 500 members of the All Progressives Congress in Ughelli South Council have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party. The defecting members were led by a former House of Assembly aspirant of the party, Olorogun Samson Okomitie. He said there was no future for the APC in the state. Speaking during the defection in Ekakpamre community on Saturday, Okomotie said they had decided to dump the ruling party at the centre following the lingering leadership crisis rocking the state and council leadership of the party. According to Okomitie, “We have decided to leave the All Progressive Congress because of the lingering leadership tussle rocking the party from wards, local government and state level without any attempt by the party hierarchy to settle the crises. “For some of us, it has become evident that there is no party like PDP in Delta and it was also obvious that APC has a lot to do to compete with PDP in Delta considering extent the party had gone in the sta...

Three men who identified themselves as University of Maiduguri workers – two lecturers and a driver – abducted by Boko Haram have appealed to the Federal Government to meet the demands of the terrorist group and secure their freedom. In a video sent to Channels Television, but which has not been independently verified, two of the men said they were lecturers in the Geology Department of the University and gave their names as Yusuf Ibrahim and Dr Solomon N. Yusuf, while the third man identified himself as Haruna, adding that he was a driver with the university. The men claimed that they are part of oil workers and academics ambushed and abducted by the Abu Musab al-Barnawi faction of Boko Haram on Tuesday. The men, however, did not state what the demands of the terrorists are. Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of the trio, called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, UNIMAID Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, and the NNPC among ot...

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has commended the National Assembly for passing the bill to reduce the age limits for elective positions. “If a Nigerian who is 18 years can vote, such a person should also be qualified to be voted for and whether or not such person can be elected should be left in the hands of the electorate,” the governor said in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Mr Lere Olayinka. “Most importantly, age is not a barrier to intellectual capability and that has been in most countries led by young people. Here in Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon was Head of State at 32.” The governor, who gave the assurance that the Ekiti State House of Assembly will endorse the bill when presented to it, called on other state Houses of Assembly to endorse the bill, saying, “There is no nation that can develop without giving its youths the opportunity to serve.” He added, “There is nothing wrong in a 30-year-old ...

First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is Nigeria’s largest financial services institution by total assets and gross earnings. With more than 10 million customer accounts, FirstBank has over 750 branches providing a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services. The Bank has international presence through its subsidiaries, FBN Bank (UK) Limited in London and Paris, FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Sierra-Leone and FBNBank Senegal, as well as its Representative Offices in Johannesburg, Beijing and Abu Dhabi. First Bank Management Associate Programme (FMAP - EXTERNAL) • Job TypeFull Time • QualificationBA/BSc/HND   MBA/MSc/MA • LocationLagos • Job FieldGraduate Jobs Job Number: 1700001A Location: Head Office, Lagos Job Description • FirstBank recently launched a Management Associate Programme, a 24-month fast-track comprehensive developmental programme, which is targeted at young, dynamic, self-motivated and hig...

The six Igbonla school boys taken captive by kidnappers from Epe in Lagos State, have been released. They were released today in Ondo State where the kidnappers may have been keeping them in the last 63 days. The boys- Peter Jonah, Isiaq Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi, Pelumi Philips and Farouq Yusuf, were abducted on May 24, 2017 with the kidnappers initially demanding N100 million ransom.  It was gathered about N30 million was paid to the kidnappers to release the children. Operatives of the Nigeria Police are said to have picked up the boys at Aboto Creek in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State at about 3:30pm, and will soon be reunited with their families. The operatives of the Inspector General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), on May 31st arrested three suspected members of the gang that kidnapped the six pupils. Source;  http://www.businessdayonline.com/breaking-relief-kidnapped-igbonla-college-boys...

Nigeria’s Senate has withdrawn a report that largely exonerated South African mobile phone giant MTN of accusations of illegally repatriating $14 billion and that rebuked the Nigerian central bank for regulatory failures. The report, presented to the Senate on Thursday and reviewed by Reuters, was almost immediately sent back for further work because it did not capture possible infractions by all stakeholders, two people familiar with the matter said. The upper house of parliament agreed last September to investigate whether Africa’s biggest telecoms company unlawfully repatriated $13.92 billion from Nigeria – its most lucrative market which generates a third of its revenue – between 2006 and 2016. MTN, which has denied any wrongdoing, could not immediately be reached for comment. The crux of the allegation is that MTN did not obtain certificates declaring it had invested foreign currency in Nigeria within a 24-hour deadline stipulated in a 1995 law, and so the ...

In the leadup to the All Progressives Congress (APC) non-elective national convention, the Party’s 10-member Constitution Review Committee has submitted its report to the Party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun containing 85 proposals for amendment. The report was submitted by the Chairman of the Committee and APC National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire SAN at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday evening. He was accompanied by other committee members, APC National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunaso and member, House of Representatives, Asabe Bashir. The Chairman of the Party’s Constitution Review Committee said the committee had six working sessions after which a three-day retreat to consider the final report and analysis. “In carrying out the assignment, we called for memorandum from members of the Party across board via publication in the newspapers. In addition to memorandum collected, we also wrote letters to the various part...

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has expressed satisfaction over the prompt response by the Senate to Nigeria’s suspension from the EGMONT Group of Financial Intelligence Units recently through the accelerated passage of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIA) bill Thursday. Salihu Isah, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice revealed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. According to him, the AGF is excited with the expeditious manner the Senate has approached the legislative process since the suspension of Nigeria as a member of the EGMONT Group was made public and which led to the resultant passage of the bill. The Minister believes that with this effort by the National Assembly, Nigeria is on the verge of not only escaping the impending expulsion, the nation will continue to strive to earn its full membership sta...

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Friday said God has answered the prayers of Nigerians and healed President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the President’s date of return was irrelevant. Emmanuel spoke to newsmen after a closed door meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja. Responding to questions on his latest visit to London to see the President, he said the President like all Nigerians is human . “I’m not a medical doctor. Let me say something here, even when you have a biological father you love your father, you take interest in his well being. I mean as a father to the nation, in my personal opinion, I don’t think that is the issue now. The issue is that we should thank God that God has answered our prayers, that is where I am coming from. And let me also say, some of us behave as if the president, the governors are superhuman, we are normal human beings, we also have challenges. So let us not think that because we are govern...

The  International Skilled Worker – Express Entry  sub-category of the  Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program  (SINP) has reopened with an expanded list of 43 in-demand occupations. This sub-category is aligned with Canada’s  Express Entry  immigration selection system. Eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool with work experience in one of these occupations may be able to submit an application for a  provincial nomination under the SINP, resulting in 600 additional  Comprehensive Ranking System  (CRS) points being awarded and an  Invitation to Apply  (ITA) for permanent residence being issued during a subsequent draw from the pool. The SINP International Skilled Worker – Express Entry sub-category operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and applicants do not need a job offer in order to apply. Up to 600 new applications will be accepted during this intake period. The new in-demand occupations list Of the ...

The Minister of Communications, Alhaji Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu will on Friday, July 28, 2017, made a presentation of two 18- seater buses to the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of his contribution to the continued functioning of the party in the state. The gesture according to the media adviser to the Minister, Mr Victor Oluwadamilare is part of the minister’s avowed effort towards energising the party and positioning it in better stead in preparation for the nationwide general elections in 2019. Alhaji Shittu whose political inkling is to give dividends of democracy to the electorate across the three senatorial districts and 33 local governments in the state, will also commission six boreholes he sunk in six different locations in Ibadan, the state capital to ameliorate the problem of acute water shortage being faced by the people of the state. The areas are; Agbowo Express, Olopometa Express, Aba Alfa in Olomi, Popoyemoja Molete, Aremo ...