Nedu Echianu's Blog

Brazil's Senate has voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office for manipulating the budget. It puts an end to 13 years in power of her left-wing Workers' Party. Ms Rousseff denies the charges.

Without any publicity or fanfare, the Facebook owner arrived Lagos on Tuesday and is seen in this photo taking his usual runs along the Ikoyi bridge.   According to the Guardian: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday visited Nigeria on his first trip to Sub-Saharan Africa, using his time in the country to visit the Yaba technology hub in Lagos where he met with developers and partners.

How dare you disrespect your woman so...lol

AIT Staff Gbenga Aruleba has lost his last daughter, Rereoluwa. She turned 13 years on August 27th.

I have been on call, 24/7 for the last 365 days, no weekends no leave. Why? Because the community hospital where I work in cannot afford to pay many doctors at the same time. Why? Because the patients cannot afford to pay for basic healthcare services. Why? Because the economy is bad. And if they can't pay, how can you give them QUALITY healthcare? I handle emergencies with rechargeable lanterns. I site intravenous lines with my phone torchlight.

“There is neither truth nor goodness nor knowledge of God in the country; only perjury, lies, murder, theft and adultery, with continual bloodshed. That is why the country is in mourning with all who live there wasting away; the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, even the fish are dying. But let no one apologize or accuse the other, for it is you, priest, whom I single out!” - Hosea 4:1-4. In 2004, a BBC report noted that Nigeria is the most religious country in the world. “Over 90% of Nigerians said they believed in God, prayed regularly and would die for their belief.” A year earlier in 2003, a study carried out in more than 65 countries and published in the UK New Scientist magazine reported that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth (even though the World Happiness Report recently indicated that Nigeria’s place has dropped). For many years, Transparency International corruption perception index has put Nigeria on the list of the most corrupt countries of the worl

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has urged all unemployed Nigerians to register at the online job portal of the Social Intervention Scheme of the Federal Government in order to benefit from different categories of programmes which government is offering. The registration on the portal, (www.npower.gov.ng) ends Wednesday, August 31, 2016. The Minister made the call over the weekend while flagging off the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) School-to-Work Programme in Calabar, Cross River State.

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday stated that the Senate will investigate the severe hunger and nutrition crisis in the IDP camps in the North East. Last Thursday,  hundreds of women from camps in Borno State took to peaceful protest and barricaded the Maiduguri-Kano/Jos Road. While reacting to the protest, Saraki described the development as desperate and reiterated his calls for better coordination amongst government and international aid agencies. He again emphasised the need for Nigeria to quickly operationalise a more effective and efficient humanitarian response infrastructure to address the dire situation.

Below is a story typical of the massive unemployment in Nigeria, Please read. I graduated from the university in 2011 and finished my NYSC in 2012. I had already planned my life I didn’t want to waste much time before going for my master’s degree if I didn’t get a good job. A month before my POP in 2012, I got a job offer in an oil firm in Port Harcourt that I served. With a salary of N50,000 they offered, I wasn’t satisfied with it. I wanted better even when part of me insisted on taking the offer. I had to tell my mom that I wanted to sell some of my late dad’s property to raise money to go to U.K for my masters. My mom totally refused. She objected on me selling any of my dad’s property to go abroad for my master. And she has also refused to give me money for school fees. She no want make I travel. She said she would only support me if I wanted to start a business.

Uche Anichukwu, the Special Assistant (media) to Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu is marking his10th year marriage anniversary. Writing on his Facebook page he said: "It has been 10 years of soaring on the wings of God's grace, favour, and testimonies. To God we return all the praise and glory. Amen". Congratulations bro, wishing you many awesome years of love and unity ahead.

Dr. Kalu Nwachukwu is a gynaecologist well-known to his female patients. Now the 47-year-old is in police custody for the way he is alleged to have acted with them: he drugged, then had intercourse with them. Police arrested him on August 4 after a report of “unethical conduct”. A police statement said the gynaecologist was “in the habit of taking undue advantage of his female patients who come to him for treatment to sexually abuse the patients.”

Coach of the National U-23 team, Samson Siasia is certainly not new to  Nigerian football. His latest foray where he led the team to win Nigeria’s only medal at the just concluded Rio 2016 Olympic Games was not the first time the former Super Eagles striker will be on the saddle. Before now he had coached the same team to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where he won the silver medal after another silver medal in Under 20 World Cup in Holland. In this last assignment for the Rio Olympics, the sports minister Solomon Dalung called him names for taking the team to Atlanta for preparation. Before then the same minister publicly condemned him for dropping some players who played in the African Championship in Senegal. The minister wanted all those who played in Senegal to be in Rio their fitness level or injuries notwithstanding. The Nigeria Football Federation owed him salaries running up to five months. He never got the support he needed from the ministry to the federation. In thi

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested the suspected mastermind of the herdsmen attack on Ndiagu Attakwu Akegbe Ugwu community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.  A statement from the command’s spokesman, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, in Enugu on Friday gave the name of the suspect as Umaru Isah from Gusau, capital of Zamfara State.

Some aggrieved residents on Friday stoned Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, as he emerged from a mosque where he observed Jumat prayer in Lokoja, the state capital. Premium Times reports that it is not immediately clear why the residents carried out the attack against Mr. Bello, but witnesses said the incident occurred at the Lokoja Central Mosque in the old market area of the capital. A source who confirmed the development said the disgruntled persons also carried few placards while chanting anti-government slogans. The source also said Mr. Bello was pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables.

Four months after herdsmen invaded Nimbo village in Enugu State,  killing and maiming the villagers, another village in the same state was, yesterday, attacked  by, at least, 50 herdsmen leaving death and tears in their wake.  The invaded village was Ndiagu,Attakwu, Akegbe-Ugwu in Nkanu-West Local Government Area of the state. Some of the victims include 26-year-old Seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor, on a year apostolic work, who was slaughtered and a six month pregnant woman whose stomach was ripped open.

Frustrated by the failure of the present administration to rescue their children, parents and relatives of the  missing Chibok school girls have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign. The relatives, who spoke in Abuja on Thursday, accused the President of not fulfilling his promise to rescue the Chibok during the 2015 electioneering campaign. It would be recalled that more than 200 girls of Chibok secondary school were abducted from their hostel in April 2014 by the Boko Haram sect, sparking international outrage and pressure on government to ensure their release.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has condemned in strong terms the Thursday dawn attack by suspected herdsmen on Attakwu, Akagbe Ugwu community, Enugu State, which left a Catholic Seminarian dead and four others injured. This was even as he commended the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and security agencies for their gallantry in busting the robbery attack on Independence Layout, Enugu on Wednesday. Ekweremadu said the incessant attacks on parts of the country by suspected herdsmen posed a grave threat to the peace, security, and economy of the country. He called on the Federal Government to take decisive steps to put a full stop to the ugly incidents. He said: “This is another heartbreak, not only for Enugu State, but the nation in general; and whatever evil forces behind these reprehensible acts certainly do not wish the country well. It must not be condoned.

The Niger Delta Coastal States Monarchs on Thursday gave six conditions for the Federal Government to achieve and sustain the peace in the region. Chief Williston Okirika, Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, read out the conditions on behalf of the chiefs when they visited the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe kachikwu, on Thursday. " we wish to state here that as a matter of urgency, the Federal Government should appoint or constitute a Federal Government Dialogue Team.

Russia finished fourth in the medal table at the Rio Olympics with 56, including 19 gold Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country's Paralympics ban is "outside the bounds of law, morality and humanity". The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) suspended Russia from the Rio Games starting on 7 September because of state-sponsored doping.

Some suspected herdsmen on Thursday attacked Ndiagu Attakwu Community of Akegbe-Ugwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, killed one person and injured four others. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, who visited the community to assess the situation, said the attack took place in the early hours of Thursday. Ojukwu commiserated with the families of the victims, the community and urged them to be calm.

An impoverished man in India carried his wife's body for 12km after the hospital where she died allegedly failed to provide an ambulance to carry the body back to their village.

The chairman of the League Management Company, Shehu Dikko, has served a big hint that former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, will soon be joining four-time Nigeria League champions, Kano Pillars. Yobo, 36, played over a 100 times for Nigeria’s national team. As an ambassador of the LMC, he was contracted to star in the country’s top flight to further boost the followership of the domestic league. Mr. Dikko told journalists in Lagos that Pillars beat other contenders to the signing of Yobo and that all the necessary formalities should be concluded in time for the former Everton defender to star in the Pyramid Boys next home game against Sunshine Stars.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday facilitated the repatriation of 241 Nigerian returnees from Libya. A breakdown of the figure indicated that 67 females were deported in which six of them were under the age of 18 and four others were below four years. The analysis further revealed that 174 males, with three below 18 years and one under the age of four, were also repatriated.

Photographs have emerged of armed French police confronting a woman on a beach and making her remove some of her clothing as part of a controversial ban on the burkini. More Photos after the cut...

A brother to the Cross Rivers State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The relation, Dr. Francis Ayade was arrested on Tuesday in connection with an alleged N2.4billion contract scam. Ayade, Managing Director of Leophina Nigeria Limited and Hally Brown International Limited, was involved in shady deals involving diversion of public funds into his companies' accounts. Specifically, four different allocations from the Nigerian federal government accounts were allegedly diverted into Hally Brown International Limited's account owned by him.

The Delta State Ministry of Health has confirmed one person dead and 32 others on surveillance following the reported case of Lassa fever. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said that the state recorded one death from Lassa fever after a medical doctor in the state died from the disease. It reads: “On August 18, 2016, one case of Lassa fever was reported in Delta State. The confirmed case was a medical doctor resident in Asaba who hailed from Anambra State.

On the 15th of August 1945, the axis nations fighting in the Pacific theater defeated imperial Japan and two weeks later, Japan formally surrendered to allied forces led by the U.S. General, Douglas McArthur, who formally accepted the signed articles of surrender. But though the U.S. defeated Japan, they never decimated Japan's great technological and industrial complex. They were visionary enough to distinguish these from Japan's military industrial complex, which they scrapped. Realizing that Japan was decades ahead of the West in many technologies, the allied powers, led by the US, allowed those industries to remain as a going concern and took the unique step of enacting legislation and policies to enable them flourish.

President Muhammadu Buhari will be seeking emergency powers from the National Assembly to push his planned stimulus for the economy. The objectives of the action-plan on the economy, which is in recession, include shoring up the value of the naira, creation of more jobs, boosting of foreign reserves, reviving  the manufacturing sector and improving power. The Nation newspaper quoting Government sources said the decision to seek emergency powers for the President was based on a proposal from the economic team headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The team reviewed the various policies so far introduced and how they have affected the economy.

No fewer than 20 people were feared dead when TETFUND sponsored two storey building under construction collapsed at Kano University of Technology. The incident that occurred midday was said to have trapped a number of labourers at the site. Eyewitness told Vanguard that there are heightened fear that the figures may rise following the deployment of men of Fire service.

35-year old Nigerian man, Izuchukwu F. Ezimoha executed for drug trafficking in Indonesia laid to rest amidst tears. Ezimoha's body was returned to Nigeria and buried in his mansion on Thursday, August 18. Families and friends attended the burial of Mr. Ezimoha at his compound; in Ezigbo village, Ihiala LGA of Anambra state. More Photos after the cut.

Japanese surgeon, billionaire Katsuya Takasu made good his pledge to the Nigeria Olympic football team, Dream Team VI,  for winning a bronze medal for Nigeria having defeated Hunduras 3-2.  The Japanese billionaire redeemed the pledge to Dream Team VI Team coach, Samson Siasia, and Mikel Obi captain got $200,000 and $190,000, respectively. Katsuya Takasu had promised each player of the Nigerian U-23 team $30, 000 if they win the gold in the men’s soccer event and will pay the team $20, 000 dollars for silver and $12,000 for bronze.

The Niger Delta Avengers have pledged to lay down their weapons and resume talks with the Nigerian government after months of attacks on the country’s oil and gas infrastructure that have crippled the economy. In a message posted on the group’s website late on Saturday, the NDA said it would “observe a cessation of hostilities” in the Niger delta and would support any effort to negotiate with “the federal government of Nigeria, representatives from the home countries of all multinational oil corporations and neutral international mediators.”

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday celebrated with Nigeria's Dream Team VI for winning the bronze medal in the men's football event at the Rio Olympics and called on Sports authorities in the country to embark on honest reappraisal. Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, also congratulated Nigeria for the feat achieved by the team shortly after they defeated Honduras 3-2 in the bronze medal match.

The Federal Government has stepped up vigilance within the drug supply chains in the country on the circulation of two confirmed falsified versions of Quinine Sulphate. A statement said the Federal Ministry of Health received a medical alert that the two falsified drugs contain zero active pharmaceutical ingredients. The statement by Mrs Boade Akinola, Director, Media and Public Relations of the ministry, on Saturday said the drugs were circulating in West and Central Africa.

Oil giants, Capital Oil and Gas and Anambra based NPFL club side FC Ifeanyi Ubah have inked a long term partnership deal with West Ham United FC, one of the leading clubs in the English Premier League. The deal, which was officially signed today in London is set to be unveiled at the Olympic stadium on Sunday, 21st of August before West Ham United FC's first home league match against Bournemouth.

SimpleLink is a payment solution that allows you to receive payment with a link. SimpleLink is a product of   SimplePay . As the Pioneering Link Payment Solution in Nigeria, SimpleLink is designed to make it easy for small businesses to receive payment for their goods and services with a link. The payment link can be sent to customers as SMS, on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram etc.

A report released by The Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Lagos as the third worst city to live, maintaining its position at the lowest on the table of the Global Liveability index. Several other global reports had also said that Lagos, with a population of over 22 million, would in the next few years, become the 4th mega city in the world, with a population of over 30 million. The city placed 138th out of the 140 cities ranked in the latest liveability survey is just above war-ravaged Tripoli and Damascus.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has voided the judgment that sacked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State from office. Vanguard reports that the ruling followed an unanimous decision by a five-man panel of Justices of the appellate court which vacated the June 27 verdict of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court held that Justice Abang erred in law and occasioned a miscarriage of justice against Ikpeazu. Justice Morenike Ogunwumiju who delivered the lead judgement, held that Justice Abang “committed a grave violence against one of the pillars of Justice” relating to fair hearing. The court said Justice Abang placed the law on its head when it directed INEC to issue fresh Certificate of Return to Mr. Sampson Ogah. While upholding the appeal, the court awarded N100, 000 cost against Ogah. 

The Nigerian presidency has ordered a discreet investigation of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, and his wife, Patience, over the spate of bombings of oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta. Premium Times reports that a top government source, quoting intelligence reports said that it had now been established that some of the oil installations bombed in the Niger Delta had actually been mined while President Jonathan was in power, just before the 2015 election, by some of the militants and operatives known to be very close to him.

Giwa FC have been readmitted to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). According to the League Management Company (LMC), saddled with running the top-flight in Nigeria, the troubled club are being restored back to this season's championship following an interim order from the Plateau State High Court. The LMC further stated that players of Giwa FC now with other clubs in the league cannot feature in matches as the court order takes immediate effect.

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Wednesday described former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, as one of the issues that continue to define the Nigerian polity, even at the age of 75 and 23 years after he left office. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki stated that the contributions of Babangida to the socio-economic development of the country remains legendary and are obvious across the landscape.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cancelled its national convention in Port Harcourt after a siege on the venue of the event by the police. The Cable reports that an official of the party confirmed this development to it on Wednesday. The national executive of the party was to be elected in the convention, but that did not happen. Instead, the tenure of the caretaker committee led by by Ahmed Makarfi was extended. He said the tenure of the committee had been extended for one year, and that a new date would be scheduled for a fresh convention.

The police have sealed off the Sharks Stadium, venue of the Peoples Democratic Party convention, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Premium Times reports that the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed this development Wednesday morning.

Former Fifa president Joao Havelange has died at the age of 100. The Brazilian was predecessor to Sepp Blatter at world football's governing body, serving from 1974 to 1998. He resigned as Fifa's honorary president in April 2013 following an investigation into bribery allegations and was admitted to hospital the following year with a lung infection.

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Tuesday called on Dream Team VI at the ongoing Rio Olympics Football event to strive to get the gold medal because only the best is good for their determination, resilience and display of soccer skills. The team will face Germany on Wednesday in the semi final of the Football event after overcoming Denmark 2-0 in the quarter final.

Sports minister Solomon Dalung has sent two players and three officials of the national U-23 team back to Nigeria from the ongoing 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. Punch reports that the two alternate players Stanley Dimgba and goalkeeper Yusuf Mohammed alongside the team’s media officer, Timi Ebikagboro, curator and the team coordinator were sent packing from the games and flew out of Brazil to Nigeria on Monday night.

Remember that train that I was so enthusiastic about a few weeks ago? Well I rescind every recommendation I have given concerning their services because in only a few short weeks the standard has fallen so drastically it's appalling. On Saturday the 13th of August my wife and I decided to take the kids with us to Kaduna to enjoy a few days out of their long vacation. In order to make the trip fun we seized the opportunity to go by train as a family. I should has suspected that something was wrong when I noticed that the cashiers selling tickets who were usually very courteous were acting exceptionally cocky towards customers. After scaling that hurdle the train which was suppose to leave the station by 2pm did not arrive until about 2:30 pm with no apologies or explanations whatsoever but that was nothing compared to what came next.

The no-love-lost relationship between the U-23 Olympic team camp and the Minister of Sports and Youth Development has reached a boiling point and they have told him in clear terms, they don’t want to see him in their camp.

I am Aisha Alkali Wakil. I understand that the military declared me, Ahmed Silkida and Ahmed Bolori wanted for having links with Boko Haram. It's interesting, now they believe me? I know the Boko Haram boys. I have been in front fighting for peace long before Chibok girls were kidnapped. Nigerian security knows me too well, I'm not shady. Why declaring me wanted?