by Chi Ibe This should be good news to all although some might moan about it. Scientists in Israel have cultivated a cannabis plant that doesn’t get people stoned or high anymore. This is a new development that may help those smoking marijuana for medical purpose. According to the Maariv daily, the new cannabis looks, smells... Read More
by Stanley Azuakola Ronald Poppo, the 65-year old homeless man whose face was chewed off in a bizarre, now faces a bigger threat from infection than from the injuries themselves, according to experts on facial reconstruction. Ynaija had carried a story (and graphic pictures) yesterday of how 65-year old Ronald Poppo had been attacked by a naked 31-year... Read More
by Hauwa Gambo This was supposed to be the IPO (Initial Public Offering) of the century, from the most iconic tech company of this generation, but it turned out to be just like a Facebook Status Update: People might click ‘Like’ on the picture of your product, but when it’s time to buy, they don’t... Read More
by Stanley Azuakola For the first time in forty years, the British Medical Association (BMA) has decided to embark on a 24-hour strike on June 21. The doctors are protesting a new plan, applicable to England and Wales but could be introduced elsewhere in the UK, under which the age at which doctors retire would... Read More
Justice Salami scored another win over opponents of his reinstatement as Appeal Court president, when the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court struck out a suit which sought to bar President Jonathan from reinstating him. As a result of this judgement, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan and Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke are under renewed pressure to... Read More
by Hauwa Gambo Peter (Okoye) has Lola Omotayo, and Paul? Well he has an unidentified hot “baby” who just happens to be lounging with him on a luxury that he just tweeted about – you know, all in a day’s job (they’re working in South Africa). The other day it was them on a private... Read More
It was a speech lacking the conviction of a man speaking from the mountain top; and was filled with the usual anecdotes of plans and phantom achievements.. One of my favourite actors is the Australian Geoffrey Rush. I was struck by his performance as David Helfgott, the talented pianist who suffered a mental breakdown, in Shine;... Read More
It’s Children’s Day. There’ll be no full-page adverts. On May 29, public funds will deface Nigerian newspapers. Shows where the heart is – ‘Gbenga Sesan @gbengasesan As predicted through my tweet above, May 29 got more attention than May 27 in Nigeria. I’m not playing with dates, but Nigeria is playing with the future!... Read More
by Stanley Azuakola What’s a good crisis without some choice conspiracy theories? Before anyone could even say “Maul me”, several conspiracy theories had sprung up on the “real” reason(s) behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to change the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University. From the comical to the downright nasty, here are the... Read More
by Chi Ibe The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, Dr. Wale Ojediran, has called on Nigerian policy makers and stakeholders in the health sector to intervene in the crisis as members of his association join Lagos State doctors in a ‘warning’ strike today. Resulting from an ignored warning issued on Tuesday,... Read More
by Seyi Lawal It took hundreds of lives and some international pressure for the Nigerian government to finally decide that it might be a reasonable idea to have a law that makes crimes against humanity punishable. According to the latest reports, the government in its bid to tackle the current insecurity in the country has formally... Read More
by Tolu Orekoya Jet-setting globetrotter D’Banj is back in the UK after his brief trip to the red carpet at the Cannes film festival in France. He gave a short acoustic version of ‘Oliver Twist’ while rocking Kanye’s Jesus piece gifted to him last year when he shared the stage with the head of G.O.O.D... Read More
by Osolake Victor Indeed, many people passing judgments on the President did not listen to the speech neither have they read a copy of it. … Yes, he changed the name of a federal institution. And so? Of what serious concern is the issue of UNILAG/MAU to the Hausa cattle ‘rearer’ in Kano or the Ibo... Read More
At the Lagos High Court in Ikeja this Wednesday, Justice Oke Opeyemi refused to let PHCN frustrate her efforts. Consistent power outages had hindered court proceedings and some judges of the court couldn’t sit as a result – not Justice Opeyemi. After waiting several hours for the electricity to be restored to no avail, Justice... Read More
by Tolu Orekoya Despite the upheavals that have rocked Egypt over the last 2 years – the Arab spring and economic turmoil – the country is still producing phenomenal scientists. The latest in the news is a young world-class physicist, who may just have discovered a way to power deep space exploration. Exhibit A: Aisha... Read More
by Tolu Orekoya With America slowly dropping back as Nigeria’s primary market for oil and the global economy showing signs of slowing, which in turn is pushing oil prices downwards, Nigeria has a lot to be worried about. While demand in Asia has helped shield the national economy from downturn, signs that China’s usually bustling economy... Read More
Motivation & inspiration are not enough Being a speech by Chude Jideonwo, Executive Director of The Future Project, delivered at the launch of The Future Awards Season 7 & the ‘Tear Down These Walls’ Media Campaign, on May 29, 2012. Lagos. By some stroke of fate, all three founders of The Future Awards are not... Read More
by Denike & Ifedayo After the explosive verbal melee between DKB and Zainab which brought the lady to tears, DKB apologised to her for what happened earlier. At Downville, Edith has expressed herself in relation to the way things are which are dissatisfactory. She reprimanded her sister, Eve, about moving with certain groups but Eve defended herself and told her she... Read More
by Oris Aigbokhaevbolo The European Film Festival recently berthed in the city of Abuja, Nigeria. Arts and movie critic Oris Aigbokhaevbolo was there and is reviewing all 21 movies screened at the festival. “This F**king French cinema,” says a character in Andalucia, the first of two French films which showed at the European Film Festival. Going by the puzzled silence greeting the... Read More
In the second day of their protests, Moshood Abiola University students have blocked the major Lagos thoroughfare, Third Mainland Bridge, a vital economic and commuter connection that links the Lagos Mainland with the Islands. Photos by Hycinth Iyereosa
by Seyi Lawal The screening of “Silver Lining,” the much anticipated short film on Autism, took place at the Ventures Koral Reef, Ikoyi Lagos on Sunday, May 27, 2012. The well attended event kicked off with a red carpet session and saw some of the brightest Nollywood stars and socialites including Desmond Elliot,... Read More
by Idris Bello The morning of May 29, 2012 found me making the three hour journey from Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland to Nhlangano, in the southern part of the country. I was again thinking about the great road network I have seen across this small country of a million people, where for over three... Read More
by Tolu Orekoya Former Liberian head of state Charles Taylor has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 11-count conviction at The Hague in April. Taylor, who lived in exile in Nigeria before he was extradited back to Liberia, was found to be instrumental in the brutal war waged in Sierra Leone fueled by... Read More
by Tolu Orekoya Things are not looking good for the second largest economy in Africa. “Infrastructural bottlenecks” according to CBN Deputy Governor Kinglsey Moghalu have led to a decrease in the rate of foreign investment, a fall in oil prices have led to a decrease in revenue, and if Euro zone banks creditors to Nigeria scale back and break credit... Read More
Premium Times reports that the Federal Government has ordered the suspension of academic activities at UNILAG as students poured into the streets to protest the renaming of the institution. UNILAG FM announced, a while ago, that all academic activities have been suspended for two weeks. Our reporter says students have already being sent home.... Read More
by Seyi Lawal Yesterday, May 29, Nigeria’s biggest youth event ‘The Future Awards’ organised an elaborate media and VIP launch for its seventh season. The event, which coincided with the country’s Democracy Day celebrations, took place at the Koral Reef in Ikoyi, Lagos. In attendance were past winners and judges of the awards including Tara Fela Durotoye (Entrepreneur of... Read More
by Stanley Azuakola Not even the Lagos rains have been able to quench the resolve of the Unilag protesters who are still protesting government’s decision to change the name of their university to Moshood Abiola University. There was no shortage of drama today as the students occupied the Lagos 3rd Mainland Bridge. In the absence of headline entertainers... Read More
The International Criminal court (ICC) sitting at Leidschendam, near The Hague, The Netherlands, has sentenced former Liberian leader Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison following his landmark conviction for supporting rebels in Sierra Leone in return for blood diamonds. According to The Wall Street Journal, “The Special Court for Sierra Leone found Mr. Taylor... Read More
by Tolu Orekoya Britain’s Supreme Court today ruled that WikiLeak’s Julian Assange can be extradited back to Sweden to face questioning by Swedish authorities over sex crimes allegedly committed by Assange. The WikiLeaks founder had argued against extradition, and over a series of legal back-and-forths, had been fighting to stay in Britain. He has just lost his latest appeal, leaving him... Read More