Chinnan's blog

The National Assembly has postponed the approval of this year’s budget until May 2018. This is contrary to expectations that the 2018 budget estimates of N8.612trn would be passed by April. Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Mustapha Dawaki, made this known at the 2018 National Budget Hearing in Abuja on Tuesday. The hearing was jointly organised by the Senate and House Committees on Appropriation. Dawaki explained that if the budget was not passed by April 24 as assured by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, then the N2.06trn 2017 capital budget would run till May 31. President Muhammadu Buhari had, in his presentation of the 2018 appropriation bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on November 7, 2017, called for speedy passage of the budget to allow for implementation of the January to December budget cycle. Both legislative chambers had blamed the delay in the approval of the bill to refusal of heads of ministries, departments a...

Isaac newton-Farris Jnr, the nephew of American civil right activist, Martin Luther King Junior has enjoined Nigerians to unite and join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to complete the work he began in setting Nigeria on the right path and building a country every Nigerian would be proud of. Farris made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja after a get together in honour of the visiting Luther family who are in Nigeria. Don’t vote Buhari out Martin Luther King’s Jrn family charges Nigerians Lailasnews According to Vanguard, The luncheon was organised by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri- Erewa to mark the first Black History Month in Nigeria. “My advice to Nigeria is this., I know that a lot of Nigerians feel a little displeasure with President Buhari moving too slow on some of his reforms. I will counsel Nigerians to say give this man the time he needs to do the job that he is doing. He is one o...

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has reacted to the apology tendered by the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday for failing Nigerians for 16 years. The PDP, through its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had apologised to Nigerians for failing them. Reacting to this, the APC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the PDP had not truly repented but was only deceiving Nigerians. The APC also expressed happiness that PDP had admitted putting the country in a mess, advising them to stay out of power for a long time in order to prove to Nigerians that they had truly repented from their sins. Abdullahi said in a statement, “Our response to this (apology) is that since PDP has realised and accepted that they are sinners and that their crimes of the years brought Nigeria to this sordid state we found ourselves today, we are glad with the admittance. “It is good that they have finally accepted but now that they are willing to...

Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and Amkar Perm defender Bryan Idowu will make their first starts for the Super Eagles later tonight against Poland in a friendly billed for the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw. The match kicks off at 8.45pm Nigerian time. Uzoho who has kept 12 clean sheets this season in the third-tier of the Spanish League for Deportivo La Coruna’s second team Deportivo Fabril, has got the nod ahead of Enyimba of Aba goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who arrived in camp late for the game. The friendly will be the 19-year-old’s second appearance for the three-time African champions after he came on during the 4-2 win over Argentina in November. Idowu, is preferred to Elderson Echiejile and Ola Aina for the left-back spot. The 25-year-old Idowu made a scoring debut for Nigeria in their 4-2 win over Argentina in November. Bursaspor right-back Shehu Abdulahi keeps his place in the starting line-up like Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong in the team’s...

Getting a good job requires good education! It is all about the grades and the degree you have! Study hard and success will be yours. Today you will work hard, You will study late night, You will skip parties, You will avoid hanging out with friends… But then tomorrow, You will enjoy your life in a much better way!! Think about tomorrow, not today. Failure is the best teacher; Learn from it, Try to rectify the mistakes, And nothing can stop you from attaining success!! Learning helps you in growing, Physically, mentally and emotionally! So, never ever stop learning!! Only those are successful, who dream big! So  dream  big, have faith, and put all your efforts in making them true. Never wait for someone to stand with you, In your dreams and goals!! A winner always stands alone, And this is a universal truth. Education is like the foundation of a building. In order to make a strong and long lasting building, You need to make a firm foundation! ...

Athletics legend Usain Bolt, who has ambitions to start a football career at 31, will train with Borussia Dortmund on Friday, the Bundesliga club has announced. “Bolt is coming!” tweeted the German league club while the Jamaican sprint star wrote “BVB, get ready for Friday #BVBolt #NewLevels @bvb09 @pumafootball,” on his official account. The event is a publicity stunt as both Bolt and Dortmund are sponsored by Puma. The training is scheduled at 1030 local time (0930 GMT) and will be open to the public with huge media interest expected. Bolt, who holds the world records for the 100m and 200m, had announced last January that he would be training with Dortmund during the current international break. Since retiring from athletics last year, Bolt has made no secret of his dreams to play football. The Manchester United fan will line up opposite British pop star Robbie Williams in a charity football match at Old Trafford on June 10. Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist,...

  Last January, Madrid president Florentino Perez denied claims by Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, that a Chinese club had made a €300million offer for the player. Scolari, who was Ronaldo’s national boss between 2004 and 2008, had told Esporte Interativo he had suggested that China could be good for Ronaldo. “Yes, he has asked me more than once what it is like to live in China,” Scolari said. “I told him everything. “And we also must understand that China is China for different players. Cristiano Ronaldo has his brands, is an industry. “And China is the best country in the world. I told him what I always say, whoever gets the chance, must come to China,”‎ he said.

The Super Eagles’ Radisson Blu Hotel camp in Wroclaw has become a beehive of activities following the arrival of 22 players and the beginning of training sessions on Tuesday. Technical and backroom staff, alongside six players opened the camp on Monday, but the facility came alive with the arrival of goalkeeper Francis Uzoho; defenders, Kenneth Omeruo, Elderson Echiejile, Stephen Eze, Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awaziem; midfielders, Joel Obi, John Ogu, Ogenyi Onazi, Uche Agbo and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Moses on Tuesday. Nigeria –based goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa and South Africa based Daniel Akpeyi are expected on Wednesday. A statement from the NFF on Tuesday indicated that Skipper Mikel is unlikely to make it to Wroclaw as he has been working hard at renewing his work permit in China, where he plays for Tianjin Teda. Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor told thenff.com on Tuesday: “We all h...

Leader of the Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, and founder of the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike yesterday claimed that Nigeria would break into six different republics before 2023. According to him, the present ‘pigeonholed six geo-political zones of the country’, namely South-East, South-South, South-West, North-Central, North-East and North-West, would metamorphose into the six republics, with South-East becoming the long agitated New Biafra, while South-South becomes Niger-Delta Republic, just as South-West and North-Central become Oduduwa and Middle-Belt Republics respectively, leaving North-East and North-West as Arewa Republic. In a statement issued yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra state, shortly after BIM’s Anambra South Zonal meeting held at Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of the state, Uwazuruike who was represented by a member of Biafra Elders–in-council, Mazi Chris Mocha, observed that “the obvious lack of t...

Fatima weds Jamil is gradually turning out to be the stuff fairytale nuptials are made of. Everything about the different ceremonies reminds one that the 2 families are most definitely powerhouses, with awesome means, resources/wherewithal. Especially when Fatima’s dad is the richest African alive and one of the world’s richest men! And also Jamil’s dad was the former Inspector General of Police of Nigeria, the very pinnacle of a policeman’s career. Not ending there, Jamil himself is a very rich, very affluent young man, a serious super car buff who owns some of the most awesome cars in his garage, not to talk of his humongous watch collection that can build several houses for some other people. So you can imagine that whatever would concern the Dangotes and the Abubakars would be top notch, over the top, seven stars by all standards and first class all the way. So check out the picture, they are colourful, very beautiful, smart small travel boxes that the couple Jamil and ...

A religious group, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Monday described the 2018 examinations timetable recently released by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, as volatile, warning that the timetable is capable of causing a disturbance of public peace if it erodes the Jumat period. WAEC recently scheduled Chemistry for 2 pm to 4 pm on Friday April 20, 2018. But following criticisms from MURIC, the subject was moved backwards to Tuesday April 10, 2018. However, ceramics (Essay) and Forestry (Essay) will now be held on Friday April 20, 2018 from 2 pm to 4 pm. While stressing that Muslims all over the world attend Jumat prayer in their mosques from 1 – 2.30 pm on Fridays, MURIC, in a statement by its Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, pointed out that educational institutions and offices often leave a two-hour window (from 1 to 3 pm) for the faithful to go and worship. The Director of Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu had confirmed the slight amendment, st...

It takes the tenacity and strength of such an unyielding soul, no doubt, to stare cancer’s perfect pain and misery in the eyes and conquer it in a terrifying battle between life and death. Yes, Okonjo-Iweala had cancer and she lived with it over certain dreary number of years. She made the shocking revelation not too long ago. Few women bear the crucible of pain and face down death in a no-holds-barred joust and live to tell their story. But Ngozi did and she emerged with her life intact. Very few people are aware she once took a trip down death boulevard while she battled life-threatening cancer. According to her, the fight against cancer was a struggle she would never forget. But with unprecedented faith and towering resilience, she survived the deadly disease. She has emerged wiser and stronger like a piece of gold whose value and quality increases by every second it spends in the intensity of a hot forge.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President also named Prof. Charles Dokubo as his replacement. In addition to his sack, Buhari also directed the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, to carry out a full investigation into the activities of the Amnesty Programme from 2015 to date. The President said the investigation should focus on allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that are allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the programme. The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Professor Charles Quaker Dokubo as the new Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for former Niger Delta militants. He replaces Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd.). “Prof. Dokubo is currently Director of Research and Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. He holds a PhD in Strategic Studies from the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, and hails from Abonema, Akuku-Toru Lo...

Jose Mourinho's Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League after Sevilla won 2-1 at Old Trafford thanks to Wissam Ben Yedder. Wissam Ben Yedder came off the bench to score the decisive goals as Sevilla moved into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a stunning 2-1 away win at Manchester United. At a restless Old Trafford, United never got out of first gear and Sevilla, having dominated the opening leg at home without finding a way to beat David de Gea in a goalless draw, deservedly progressed.

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB) has hinted that it has plans have UTME candidates take the exam from their homes in future. This was disclosed by JAMB's Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, during a radio programme, "Day break show" in Abeokuta. He said that the board is thinking of an open book examination where by candidates can take the exam from the comfirt of their homes. Adding that the board will do this once they have the technology. Commenting on this,aAn ICT expert, Damilola Oyeshola, said the challenge of IT infrastructure in the country would make the idea of candidates taking the exam from their bhoimes difficult to implement. n the issue of results, Dr fabian mentioned that once a candidates clicks "Submit" after the exam, the result for that candidate is ready. However, JAMB will have to delay the release so that the results will be previewed before releasing to avoid cancellation of results later. 

Married female staff of Globacom are currently in pains after the Chairman, Mike Adenuga laid off over 90 of them. According to a reliable source, the management laid them off because they were married and Mike Adenuga does not want married women in his company again. I received a rude shock from the company I have served diligently for 13years yesterday. I, alongside almost 90 other married women were laid off simply because we are married and Dr. Mike Adenuga does not want any married woman in Globacom (Gloworld friendship centre). I was laid off a company I dedicated my time & energy to, working tirelessly and always dedicated to my job giving my 200%. My family & friends would always say if I had a cut, my blood will be “green”. Some of you would wonder what I was doing in Globacom for 13 good years, I will give you an insight of my story. I joined the company a vibrant 22year old, freshly out of school graduate. I have worked with dedication, total commitment...

A former Minister of Aviation of Nigeria, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that US Secretary, Rex Tillerson, might have been affected by his visitation to President Muhammadu Buhari. It will be recalled that Tillerson was sacked by US President Donald Trump 12 hours after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock. Fani-Kayode in a tweet on Tuesday alleged that President Muhammad Buhari has ‘chronic bad luck’. He said: “If it is not that Buhari has chronic bad luck how is it that within 12 hours of seeing him in Abuja, Rex Tillerson, the American Sec. of State,was removed from office by @realDonaldTrump and replaced with George Pompeio of the CIA?Congrats George!My advice?Steer clear of Buhari!”

While the Argentine has been linked in particular with a reunion with Pep Guardiola’s Man City, his team-mate believes he will not move to England. Lionel Messi is unlikely to be tempted to move to the Premier League, according to Sergio Busquets, with the Barcelona star available again and ready to take on Chelsea. Argentina forward Messi was absent as Barca beat Malaga at the weekend as his wife gave birth to their third child Ciro, but he will return for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against the Blues. The teams drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge, but Busquets is confident Messi – who the scored Barca’s away goal in London – can prove the difference back in Catalonia. “I think [Messi] will be fine, hopefully more motivated than ever,” Busquets said. “He will be rested – it will be perfect. Hopefully he can make the difference in our favour.” Ahead of facing the reigning Premier League champions, talk turned to whether Messi could join a side like Chelsea but...

Senator Shehu Sani has explained why he revealed how much he and his colleagues receive monthly as running cost. Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, had confirmed that each Senator gets N13.5 million as running cost. The lawmaker noted that this was in addition to the over N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate. He, however, kicked against allowances, advocating that Senators should only be paid salaries. In an interview with BBC, Sani said “I decided to burst it open. It was a moral issue. “The National Assembly is one of the most non-transparent organs of government. It pricked my conscience and I decided to burst the bubble and open the National Assembly to public scrutiny.” “If the expenses payment system was ended then parliament would only be attractive to people who contribute ideas,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday urged herdsmen and farmers to live peaceful. He also disclosed that that his government was deeply worried about the incessant attacks on Benue’s rural communities, and vowed to end the menace “very soon”. Responding to remarks by various stakeholders during a Town Hall meeting in Government House, Makurdi, on Monday, the President also urged them to show restraint and allow the security agencies to handle the untenable situation. His words: “The governor and I, and others here know that we will leave one day, but the relationship between farmers and herders will continue. “I urge you to keep in touch with them and advise them to live peacefully. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups with different cultures and nobody can question God for putting us together.” Recalling his Civil War era memories with military officers from Benue State, he noted that his nostalgic experience with such persons would never allow him to do harm to the state....

The federal government says it will source for N8 billion within five weeks to pay the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said this at a resolution reached at a conciliation meeting with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities in Abuja. The Non-Academic staff Union of Nigerian are made of the Non Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Academic of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT). The resolution was jointly signed by Mr. Ngige, NAAT President, Sani Suleiman, NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, SSANU President Samson Ugwoke and Anthony Anwukah, Minister of State for Education. Mr. Ngige, a former senator, also said part of the eight billion would also be used to pay members of the Academic Staff Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the University of llo...

The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari did not promise an absolute crime-free Nigeria while campaigning for the presidency in 2015. Shehu stated this on Sunday while reacting to criticism triggered by the death of several persons from the herdsmen-farmers crisis and other security issues in some parts of the country. “I think that nobody, no politician should try to deceive Nigerians by saying that there is a country without lawlessness,” he said during his appearance on Channels Television’s SundayPolitics. “Even when he campaigned – the President, yes, committed to ridding the country of terror but he would never have said that this country would be 100 per cent without criminality,” he added. Shehu, however, said that the Federal Government is working hard to ensure the safety of the lives and property of Nigerians in all parts of the country. As part of efforts to find a lasting solution to the killings, he...

The Nigerian Senate yesterday, confirmed that each senator collects N13.5m monthly as running cost in addition to N750,000 monthly salary/allowances, but quickly added that the information about the emoluments of senators was never a secret. According to the Senate Spokesman,   Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the figure of the running cost of the offices of Senators were contained in various line items and expenditure heads, of the budget of the National Assembly which has been made public before now. With the new revelation, it was gathered that each Senator takes home a N45m quarterly allowance. According to Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi who represents Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani did not disclose anything new, and dismissed the insinuations that Sani’s colleague were unhappy with him. He further said that if people had looked critically at the budget of the National Assembly which has since been made public,...

A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how Boko Haram can be defeated. He said if government tackles the issue of hunger and joblessness, terrorism will dealt a heavy blow. Obasanjo made the statement while in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where he presided over a meeting of the Zero Hunger Forum, a social development goal program of both the Nigerian government and international development partners. He said research had proven that most Boko Haram fighters picked up arms against the state, not for the advancement of any religious conviction but as a means of fighting hunger and lack of job. Obasanjo who is the chairman of the SDG program on zero hunger in Nigeria is currently leading the campaign against hunger across select states in the country. He explained that of the 17 SDG agenda of the international community, “zero hunger is number two”. “Zero hunger, or ending hunger has ramification, on 14 other goals. Infant mortality, alleviation of...

Jose Mourinho is considering going back to a two-man midfield for  Manchester United 's crunch home match with Liverpool on Saturday, but much will depend on the fitness of Paul Pogba, who has picked up a knock in training. While sources are hopeful the French star will start, United will assess his situation overnight. If he is fit, Mourinho is considering returning to a two-man midfield as he attempts to figure out how to play against Liverpool's free-scoring attack. READ 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal Office, on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, re-arraigned two officials of the INEC. They are Christian Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir on an amended nine-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N264,880.000 (Two Hundred and Sixty-four Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira). The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the Commission amended the charge in line with the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act(ACJA) 2015, which gives room for such amendment at any time. He, therefore, prayed the court for the charge to be read to the defendants so as to allow them to take their pleas. However, counsels to the defendants kicked on the grounds that Oyedepo had earlier called two prosecution witnesses in the matter, conducted his trial within trial and closed his case against the defendants. The defence counsel also stated that they had filed a no-case submission on February 16, 201...