Opinion: No, no, no &#8211; we are not all PDP

Chidi Nwaonu: Sometimes a thing is just a thing (30 Days, 30 Voices)

In order for a people to survive in a harsh and aggressive environment it is necessary to accept and adapt, but in order for a people to advance and progress they need to challenge and modify. “Sometimes a thing is just what it is, a thing….when we see lightning killing people we don’t ask why,... Read More

chidi Nwaonu, development, nigeria, survival

January 9, 2013

Severance pay? Jonathan pays close to N1bn to Yar’Adua family (Report)

by Akan Ido There are unconfirmed reports that the presidency has paid about N1bn to the family of late president Umar Musa Yar’Adua according to a memo reportedly obtained by an online news medium. Reports say the fund was routed through the Katsina state government where the late president once served as a governor. The... Read More

Aso Rock, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, saudi arabia, Turai Yaradua, Umar Musa Yar'Adua

January 9, 2013

Corruption: Jonathan is not doing enough – Obasanjo

by Isi Esene Former president Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday threw a challenge at president Goodluck Jonathan urging him to act decisively to stem the tide of corruption in the country. Speaking on the Cable News Network (CNN), Obasanjo said corruption is rising at an alarming rate in the country and the Jonathan administration is doing too... Read More

boko haram, cnn, corruption, Goodluck Jonathan, Insecurity, nigeria, olusegun obasanjo, terrorism

Exclusive: Stephen Keshi speaks exclusively with YNaija on the Super Eagles, who is on the team, and more

by Aitor Labrador Ochoa The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) comes up later this month and Nigerian Coach, Stephen Keshi is satisfied with the preparedness of his team and the performance of the local players joining the team. YNaija’s Aitor Labrador Ochoa caught up with the man they call the ‘Big Boss’ to sound him out... Read More

Catalonia, local players, nigeria, stephen keshi, super eagles

Feyi Fawehinmi: Can Olusegun Aganga really stop the raging cement war?

by Feyi Fawehinmi Where two or three Nigerian businesses are gathered, a cabal is soon formed. In April 2012, the editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber, visited Nigeria and in the course of his visit he had dinner with some government officials in Abuja. According to him, one (unnamed) guest pointed out to him... Read More

aganga, cement, Dangote, Ibeto, Lafarge, nigeria

Time for a makeover: ASUU plans national education summit

by Godwin Akanfe The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is planning a national summit on education to chart a better path for the sector. The ASUU President, Dr Isa Fagge said in Lagos on Monday that the union would organise the summit in collaboration with other genuine education stakeholders. Fagge said that the summit... Read More

ASUU, education, FG, Isa Fagge, nigeria, summit

We must have an Igbo President – and more, in today’s news round-up with Cheta Nwanze

by Cheta Nwanze You see, if there’s one advantage to having an Igbo man as our next President, it is that he will not leave the country’s treasury almost bereft of cash as a Bayelsa man will. Even though he was born on August 4, 1933, exactly a year before Adolf Hitler became Der Fuhrer... Read More

Anthony Anenih, Bayelsa, Davd Mark, Hajia Fatima Shema, igbo, nigeria, nnpc, Orji Uzor Kalu, Slok Air, Timipre Sylva

Opinion: Nigerians and the culture of entitlement

by Christopher Akor Nigerians, on their part, developed an unhealthy feeling of entitlement and a culture of expectation from their government. They expect the government to provide jobs, roads, hospitals, education, water, electricity, among others at little or no cost. There is now a consensus that Nigeria has been run aground by bad leadership... Read More

Entitlement, nigeria, Taxes

January 7, 2013

Featured, National Bureau of Statistics office, News, nigeria

Eko for show: Lagos is Nigeria’s richest state, while Sokoto is the poorest – NBS

by Rachel Ogbu Information obtained on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website reveals that Sokoto is the poorest state in Nigeia. According to reports, the northern state has 81.2 per cent poverty rate. Next on the list is Katsina with 74.5 per cent; Adamawa, 74.2 per cent; Gombe, 74.2 per cent; Jigawa, 74.1 per cent; Plateau, 74.1 per cent;... Read More

January 7, 2013

Ohimai Amaize: Like it or not, we are all PDP (Y! Politico)

by Ohimai Godwin Amaize Is the PDP perfect? I do not think so. My argument is simply that there is a PDP in the best of us and a PDP in the worst among us. One of the most profound arguments ever made for political participation remains the description of the “political illiterate” by German... Read More

ankara, Bertolt Brecht, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, ohimai amaize, Peoples Democratic Party, Y! Politico

January 7, 2013

Abacha’s son, Abba, still on criminal trial in Switzerland – Swiss ambassador

by Akan Ido Switzerland is battling hard to shake-off the image of the go-to country hiding looted funds. Several dictators, including Nigeria’s former president, Sani Abacha laundered public funds into Swiss vaults during their tenure in government. In this Punch Newspapers interview, Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Hans Rudolf Hodel, talked about the ongoing trial... Read More

Abba Abacha, ambassador, Hans Rudolf Hodel, nigeria, Sani Abacha, Swiss bank, Switzerland

January 6, 2013

Sokoto governor wins ‘Thug governor of the year’… in last week’s news with a pinch of salt

by Stanley Azuakola Farmers can simply log on to Facebook and update their status and profile pictures: “I just planted the cocoyam,” “This cassava would be perfect for presidential cassava bread.” Governors reject awards In its first meeting this year, the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) gave awards to some of its deserving members. Surprisingly most... Read More

agriculture, Bamanga Tukur, farmers, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, resolution, Rotimi Amaechi

January 6, 2013

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu: Occupy Nigeria: Are we better off today?

by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu We may be under the illusion that 2013 has started on a more proper note. We’ve made our resolutions and Mr. president has promised to surprise us this year. But the truth remains that it is almost impossible to ever make progress without looking at the past. 2012 started off on quite... Read More

#OccupyNigeria, 2012, 2013, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Fuel Price, nigeria, occupy nigeria, poverty, President Goodluck Jonathan, Protests

January 6, 2013

Simon Kolawole: This troubled Nigerian project

by Simon Kolawole …the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party in power since 1999, does not seem to have an articulated vision. Even if there is a vision, the consistency and strategies required in implementation have been awfully missing. During a one-week business trip to Dubai with a friend last November, we spent most of... Read More

Dilma Vana Rousseff, Goodluck Jonathan, Idris Wada, nigeria, olusegun obasanjo, PDP, simon kolawole, south korea, vision

January 5, 2013

Terrorism: Nigerian security agencies get set to answer the JAMBS question

by Akan Ido The Nigerian security apparatus which, according to observers, have so far proved inadequate to protect the lives and property of citizens might soon be stretched thinner with the emergence of a new terror group known as the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (JAMBS), which roughly translates as Vanguards for the Aid... Read More

Al-Qaeda, boko haram, France, Frank Mba, JAMBS, Mohammed Shekau, nigeria, terrorism

January 5, 2013

Dele Momodu: The president and his ten million farmers

by Dele Momodu Let’s take them one by one. Why is it assumed that of all problems facing Nigerian farmers, the most acute is treatable by merely buy mobile phones for them? Fellow Nigerians, let me begin by sending you all the traditional Happy New Year greeting, and the very best wishes, even if I... Read More

agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, Dele Momodu, farmer, farouk lawan, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria

Balotelli’s sister, Abigail Barwuah is expecting Obafemi Martins’ baby

by Akan Ido Rumours going the rounds that Abigail Barwuah, Mario Balotelli’s sister is pregnant for Obafemi Martins appears true. Sources say the beautiful lady is already four months into the reported pregnancy. Barwuah is presently in the country with the Nigerian football star. When delivered, this will be the Nigerian footballer’s third child, Martins... Read More

Abigail Barwuah, football, mario balotelli, nigeria, Obafemi Martins

Opinion: Mobile phone farming, the Goodluck Jonathan miracle

by Abubakar S. Usman Sadly, none of these is of concern to the government. What they are rather interested in are shot cuts that eventually leads to nowhere, except for the money that usually ends up in the pockets of individuals. Just when you are about to give him the benefit of doubt, President Goodluck... Read More

agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, farmers, Goodluck Jonathan, Mobile phones, nigeria, tractors

Opinion: Phones-for-farmers is not a bad idea

by Moses Ojoawo You see how smart Nigerian leaders of the 21st century are, support them, worship them, fight for them. Honestly it’s high time our youth reduced talking about English premier league and swag and get a bit involved in politics. Our leaders fool us easily because they know we are not even paying... Read More

farmer, government, nigeria, phone

4 Nigerians arrested in Venezuela for drug trafficking

by Chidi Okoye Venezuela arrested a group of suspected cocaine traffickers, among them four Nigerians, in what the Latin American country claims is further illustration of the importance of drug smuggling routes from South America to West Africa, and then onto Europe. Venezuela’s National Guard and anti-narcotics police reported detaining the six suspects during two... Read More

Bolivia, Drugs, nigeria, Venezuela

13 Nigerian journalists killed in 2012

by Soji Lawal The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mohammed Garba, on Thursday disclosed that 13 Nigerian journalists were killed last year. Garba said that the journalists lost their lives covering assignments. He said that the number was the highest recorded in the history of Nigeria since independence in 1960. “We have... Read More

Enenche Akogwu, journalism, Mohammed Garba, nigeria, NUJ

Opinion: Is making New Year resolutions a dying culture?

by Uwa Odefa The situation could be different if we had “chosen” differently. Well, we still can. Let the past go with the old year. Today marks the beginning of the rest of your life. Let’s not give ourselves more cause for regret. In times past, once the beginning of a new year comes around... Read More

Ibrahim Babangida, New Year, nigeria, PHCN, resolutions

No more drivers licences or vehicle plate numbers through the backdoor – FRSC

The Lagos Sector Commander of Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Nseobong Akpabio on Wednesday in Lagos said the era of obtaining drivers licences and vehicle plate numbers via the back door, is over. He said intending applicants for the two products should go through the right channels to procure them to avoid fakes. Nigeria:... Read More

frsc, licence, nigeria, Nseobong Akpabio, nurtw, Tajudeen Agbede

Opinion: Nigeria where every problem is too hard to fix

by Gwynne Dyer But it is the Government that raises, trains and pays these security forces, and even in a continent where many countries have problems with the professionalism of the army and police, Nigeria’s are in a class by themselves. It is not known if the word “dysfunctional” was invented specifically to describe the... Read More

boko haram, Borno, Goodluck Jonathan, maiduguri, mali, nigeria

Just in: Kidnapped Gombe lawmaker freed

by Isi Esene Jalo Ganga, the member representing Gombe North constituency in Gombe State House of Assembly who waas abducted on Sunday has been released. The lawmaker was released Wednesday night and was reunitef with his family arounfd 10:30pm. The lawmaker’s younegr brother, Malam Abdulkadir Mohammed-Yelwa, said Ganga arrived his residence in motorcycle around 10pm... Read More

gombe, Jalo Ganga, Kidnapping, lawmaker, nigeria

Opinion: Supernatural transformation

by Abdullahi Aborode Say to them that all subsidy thieves including Otedollar will be brought behind bars because Go-slow is ready to act, tell them that the Naira will be equal in value to the Kuwaiti Dinar. It was 31st of December 2012, the last day of a truly miraculous year. A year truly remarkable... Read More

2013, Femi Otedola, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, transformation, vision

Nigeria’s N600 million debt at the UN ‘threatens’ our status and influence with the global body

Nigeria is owing the United Nations (UN) a grand total assessed contribution of $3,847,723 (about N600 billion). Seen as debts by the UN system accounting apparatus, mere irregularity of payments are enough to threaten Nigeria’s status as well as influence within the global body at a time efforts are being intensified for the country to take... Read More

budget, China Group, ECOWAS, G77, nigeria, UN

January 2, 2013

Full steam ahead: President Jonathan promises faster delivery on policy implementation in 2013

by Isi Esene Following criticisms over the slowness of his government, President Goodluck Jonathan has promised Nigerians that his government’s policy implementation will move full steam ahead this year. He said this yesterday in a message during a New Year service at the All Saints’ Anglican Church, Zone 5, Wuse, Abuja. Jonathan said, “In all... Read More

Goodluck Jonathan, Insecurity, New Year, Nicholas Okoh, nigeria

January 1, 2013