Nedu Echianu's Blog

Please read and share till Kamzie gets justice. It all happened at Louis Ville Girls’ Secondary School Gwagwalada, Abuja on 2nd October, 2017. According to eyewitnesses and letters students wrote to console my first daughter who was in the same school, my late daughter was severely sick, she kept crying and feeling home sick but was neglected. Two teachers were informed that she was sick by her seniors in school but they didn't inform the school authorities or call us so they didn't attend to her or take care of her, even the nurse that was on duty once chased her away that she wasn't sick but was pretending. According to the students, all this happened on 5th and 6th of October. Then she visited again on Saturday 7th and she was given paracetamol and was sent back to the hostel. On Monday 9th she reported again complaining of headache, they ran a test, and her test result came out negative according to what was reported. What type of test and with what instrument di

The Senate has resolved to investigate alleged recent reinstatement of a Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr. Danjuma Ibrahim, who was indicted by a judicial panel of inquiry set up in 2005 to probe killing of five young Igbo traders and a young lady in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The resolution followed a Point of Order raised by Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji (PDP-Ebonyi) on the floor of plenary on Wednesday. Ogbuoji expressed concern that two police officers who operated under the directive of Ibrahim to kill the young traders were convicted but he was acquitted. He further expressed concern that the Police Service Commission (PSC) exonerated and reinstated the leader of the police team that committed the murder while his subordinates were severely punished. ”My personal explanation is on an incidence that took place that led to the death of six young people, five of them male and one a female at a police checkpoint. That incidence involved Ifeanyi Ozor, Chinedu Meniru, Isaac Ek

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun has suspended the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Mounir Gwarzo, from office over allegations of financial misappropriation. The Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information, Mrs Patricia Deworitshe, in a statement on Wednesday,said that the suspension was to allow unhindered investigation into several allegations of financial impropriety against Gwarzo. Deworitshes said that Mr Abdulsalam Habu, Head of Media Division, SEC and Mrs Anastasia Braimoh, Head of Legal Department, had also been suspended. “The suspension is in line with the Public Service Rules. “The Minister has set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry (API) to investigate and determine the culpability of the director-general. “She has directed the suspended SEC Director-General to immediately handover to the most senior officer at the Commission, pending the conclusion of investigation by the API,” she said. Gwarzo allegedly paid hi

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has suspended the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Mounir H. Gwarzo, to allow for an unhindered investigation of several allegations of financial impropriety leveled against the Director-General. According to a statement signed on Wednesday by Patricia Deworitshe the Ministry’s Press Deputy said the suspension was in line with the Public Service Rules (PSRs) 03405 and 03406. Also suspended are two management staff of the Commission, Mr. Abdulsalam Naif Habu, Head of Media Division and Mrs. Anastasia Omozele Braimoh, Head of Legal Department, who have been alleged to engage in financial impropriety in the Commission. Vanguard

...It is a ‘Slap in the Face’, Says Saraki The Senate on Wednesday, called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to invite the Libyan Ambassador to Nigeria and discuss how to end the ongoing Libyan slave trade which allegedly involves the sale of Africans, some of them of Nigerian descent, as slaves. In a motion titled: "Urgent Need to Protect Nigerian Citizens from the Libya Slavery Auctions," which was sponsored by Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, the Senate called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to use the opportunity of the ongoing European Union and African Union (EU-AU) Summit in Abidjan to table the matter before the Libyan delegation. In his comments, President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said: “As a country it is a slap in the face if Nigerians can be treated in this manner. Other countries are taking necessary actions to bring back their citizens from that troubled country. We need to be doing similar things. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must imm

The embattled former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, says he helped President Muhammadu Buhari recover N1.3tn in January. Maina, who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said this in a video sent to Channels Television. He further claimed that while he was out of the country, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), paid him a visit during which he (Maina) told Malami about the N1.3tn. “When this government came in, the President (Buhari Muhammadu) gave the nod that ‘go and sit down with Maina, I’ve given you the approval.’ “They sat down with me after the security agencies had cleared me. Nobody has ever taken me to court in Nigeria, I want Nigerians to know; I have never been taken to any court of law. I have sued all the security agencies that they are talking about and I have won, I have four court judgments.” Maina said, “As soon as this current government decided to sit with me, after

Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu took the official Prayer and led the Chambers into today’s proceedings at 10.50am. Senator Kabir Marafa moved for the approval of votes and proceedings of Thursday, 23rd November, 2017, Senator Matthew Urhoghide seconded. *PETITIONS* Senator Joshua Lidani and Senator Akpan Bassey laid Petitions and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu referred the petitions laid to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to report back in 2 weeks. *POINT OF ORDER* Senator Ali Ndume cited order 42 and spoke on the state of security in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe State and sought the leave of the Senate to bring it as a motion on another Legislative day. Senator Tayo Alasoadura cited orders 42 and 52 and spoke in respect of a motion on the need to enforce the terms of the 1993 product sharing contract (PSC) agreement between international oil companies (IOC

"The taste of stockfish is life... We can't cook without stockfish." That's the verdict of women at the bustling Onyingbo market in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, as they carefully choose pieces of the specially dried cod. Heads stare up from market stalls while whole bodies hanging on metal hooks sway in the humid breeze. Bundles of the golden-coloured fish have been cut into different sizes and are sold by weight. The smell of stockfish is pungent and clings to the back of your throat. No wonder; the fish has been hung up to dry for three months until it is as dry as a tree bark. As the moisture drips out, the flavour of the fish deepens to create a rich, intense and complex taste. It is perfect for a Nigerian palate, which favours big and bold flavours such as fermented locust beans and chilli pepper, says young chef Michael Elegbde. Based in Lagos, Mr Elegbde is a rising star in Nigeria's culinary world - and his signature dishes revolve a

In this episode, Rudolf Okonkwo aka Dr. Damages visits Nigeria's Capital city, Abuja which he described as the corruption capital of the world and home to the infamous Cabals.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated a 30-manTripartite National Minimum Wage Committee, calling on the members to come up with a fair and decent wage for Nigerian workers. Inaugurating the committee in the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari said that re-negotiation of a new national minimum wage had become imperative because the existing minimum wage instrument had since expired. “We all know that the last minimum wage instrument has expired. “It is in recognition of the need to ensure a fair and decent living wage that the Federal Government put in motion necessary mechanisms so that we can today inaugurate this large committee with a big task ahead of you. “You are all aware that during the period following the increase in petrol pump price in May 2016, a technical committee was established to examine and make recommendations to government, the measures to be adopted to cushion the envisaged painful effects of the increase on workers an

Pictures of vehicles branded with the image of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are currently in circulation. It is not clear when or where the pictures were taken but the media team of the former vice-president has described the picture as fake. Paul Ibe, spokesman of Abubakar, is quoted as telling an online newspaper, TheCable that the pictures emanated from a fake Twitter account. Abubakar defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday but did not state his next political move. During the weekend, he held a series of meetings with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The former number two citizen lost the presidential ticket of the APC to President Muhammadu Buhari but there are indications that he would go head-to-head with Buhari in 2019. Below are some of the pictures:

Former President Robert Mugabe’s birthday, Feb. 21, is now a public holiday after the Zimbabwean Government gazetted it as Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, the state-controlled media reported on Monday. The designation of the day as a public holiday comes after the government adopted the decision in August following intense lobbying by the ruling ZANU-PF Youth League. The day has been previously commemorated as the 21st February Movement by the party in celebration of the principles and ideals of the former president. The party youths pushed for the birthday to be declared a holiday in recognition of Mugabe’s efforts in empowering the youths. Mugabe resigned on Nov. 21 after military and public pressure, ending his 37 year stay in power. 

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa has dumped FC Ifeanyi Uba of Nnewi for another Nigerian club side. He has yet to disclose the new club. Ezenwa told the News Agency of Nigeria NAN in Abuja on Monday that he took the decision “after making some consultations and putting considerations in place.’’ He said that his new club would be made known soon in grand style. “The new club will be unveiled very soon in an occasion that I will sign a new jersey. “Although my contract with FC Ifeanyi Ifeanyi Uba is over but I have considered leaving them after contract expiration,’’ Ezenwa said. The Super Eagles goalkeeper said he was expecting to do better with the new club. “I am always focused and determined to excel at goal posts which is the secret of my success. Ezenwa has been with FC Ifeanyi Uba as number one goalkeeper.

Prince Harry is to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle, Clarence House has announced on Monday. The marriage is due to take place in the spring of 2018, his father Prince Charles announced. Harry, 33, currently fifth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, best known for her role in the U.S. TV legal drama “Suits”, became engaged earlier this month, the statement issued by Clarence House said. “Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle’s parents,” the statement said. The couple met in July 2016, after they were introduced through friends. The prince publicly confirmed their relationship months later in a rebuke to the media, which had been intruding into Markle’s private life But it was not until September that they made their first public appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto, a sports event for wounded veterans.

A Libya returnee and father of five, Mr. Sylvester Agho, has described his five months experience in the North African country as hellish and harrowing, just as he promised to join in the fight against illegal migration. He made the disclosure while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin, Edo State capital, weekend, shortly after their deportation from Libya. Agho, who said he was glad to have been back to the country, said the moment one leaves his country, he loses his freedom, pointing that there is no other country that can be likened to Nigeria. He said: “I am happy because there is no place like home. When you are in Nigeria, you have the freedom to move about without molestation, but the moment you step out of the shores of Nigeria, you have lost your freedom. “There is a great discrimination over there. But in Nigeria, there is nothing like such. You can work freely unlike over there.”  Mr. Agho, who is among the 531 Edo indigenes deported from Libya to the state, said

Yakubu Galadima, the lawyer for the whistle-blower, who informed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of the $43m, N23.2m and £27,800 (N13bn) recovered from an Ikoyi apartment, says his client will not accept anything below five per cent commission. Galadima said this during a chat with Punch newspaper on Saturday. The Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, at an event on Thursday titled, ‘Tracking Noxious Funds’, which was organised by Kent University Law School and Human and Environmental Development Agency, had explained that any whistle-blower, who helped the government to recover anything above N1bn would receive less than five per cent commission. Owasanoye, who was part of the team that drafted the whistle-blower policy had said, “If you blow the whistle and the government recovers cash, you are entitled to between 2.5 per cent and five per cent. The maximum limit is five per cent. “According to the policy

The Nigerian Army on Saturday repelled an attack by Boko Haram insurgents at Magumeri town, headquarters of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno. A competent security source was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as saying that the insurgents attacked a military formation at Magumeri, about 32 km from Maiduguri the state capital. The source said that the insurgents attacked the area at about 6 p.m. and shot sporadically in an attempt to infiltrate the town. The source revealled that the troops and other security personnel engaged the insurgents and successfully repelled the attack. “The insurgents could not infiltrate the town and they were forced to flee after hours of gun battle. “No one can ascertain the level of casualties at this time,” he said. However, Kaka Audu, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the area, said that the insurgents attacked the town from the military check point and Bengel area of the town. Audu disclosed that some of

Retired Maj.-Gen. Ike Nwachukwu on Saturday re-echoed the need for the Federal Government to implement the 2014 National Conference report, saying it addressed issues of restructuring in the country. He made this known at the retreat of Southern Senators’ Forum in Calabar on Saturday. Nwachukwu said it would be injustice to Nigeria not to have recommendations of the report implemented in view of its relevance to the call for restructuring. “I had the privilege in 2005 of serving as a member of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Political Reform Conference and it rolled into 2014 National Conference. “I will dare to say that the amount of work put into the 2014 conference, of course, building on the outcome of the 2005 conference, produced a fantastic report. “It will be total injustice to Nigeria if the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference are jettisoned. `Most of what we are talking about today were raised there, and after several weeks of grinding discussi

At least two people have been killed and dozens more injured in an explosion in the eastern Chinese port city of Ningbo, local officials say. The blast is said to have occurred at a factory at about 09:00 (01:00 GMT) in the city's Jiangbei District, causing some nearby buildings to collapse. State media reported that at least 30 people had been taken to local hospitals amid rescue operations. Footage showed rescuers carrying people away from an area surrounded by debris. Chinese media said at least two of the injured are reported to be in a serious condition, citing local authorities. Pictures from the scene showed the power of the blast, which destroyed cars and buildings Police said on social media that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the explosion. The city has a large international shipping port and is best known for its auto-manufacturing industry, it is home to Geely - the Chinese owner of Volvo. Chinese media said the explosion happened in

Zimbabwe's former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, taken into custody by the military after it took power, has appeared in court in Harare. He faces corruption and abuse-of-power charges from his time in local government, his lawyer says. Mr Chombo is one of several leading figures detained when former President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest on 14 November. Separately, the high court has ruled that the military takeover was legal. "The actions of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to stop the usurping of power by those close to former president Robert Mugabe are constitutional," the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation quotes the court as saying. The court also ruled "null and void" the sacking by Mr Mugabe of then Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier this month. The military takeover was widely seen as a reaction to moves by Mr Mugabe to ensure his wife, Grace, succeeded him, and against the sacking of Mr Mnangagwa, who became president on Frid

Suspected militants have launched a bomb and gun attack on a mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province, killing at least 184 people, state media say. Witnesses say the al-Rawda mosque in the town of Bir al-Abed, near al-Arish, was targeted during Friday prayers. Local police said men in four off-road vehicles opened fire on worshippers, AP reported. Egypt has been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the region, which has intensified since 2013. There have been regular attacks blamed on militants on the Sinai peninsula, but this is the deadliest assault of its kind. Pictures from the scene show rows of bloodied victims inside the mosque. At least 125 people were also wounded, reports say. One report said the target appeared to be supporters of the security forces who were praying at the mosque. Locals are also quoted as saying that followers of Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, regularly gathered at the mosque. Islamist jihadist groups, including so-called Islamic State (IS), see

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called for patience, more enlightenment and dialogue to actualise the restructuring of Nigeria, blaming misconception and ethno-sectional suspicions for the opposition to the idea. Ekweremadu made the call in Calabar on Friday in a keynote address he presented at the opening of a retreat by the Southern Senators Forum themed “National Unity and Restructuring”. The Senator likened Nigeria to a vast building expected to accommodate a multiethnic, multicultural, multi-religious, and politically diverse people. “To ensure equity, justice, and prosperity of the various families and sections; to ensure completive development; and to allay fears of possible domination, our founding fathers settled for a federal constitution or structure after various conferences on the type of building, the architectural design, number of rooms, and rules of cohabitation, “Sadly, the rain started beating us from that fateful January