US secretary John Kerry arrives in Nigeria

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, has landed in Nigeria on August 23, Tuesday and is currently at the Palace of the Sultan of Sokoto to discuss counter terrorism efforts in Nigeria.

 Kerry who is on a two-day visit to Nigeria has stated that the battle against the deadly Boko Haram sect will only succeed if the reasons why people join militant groups to be addresses and if the government and its army gain people’s trust. He said:

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Teacher arrested for molesting a nine-year-old pupil

A 33-year-old school teacher at Nasarawa Annex primary school, Faskari local government area, has been arrested by the Katsina state police command for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old pupil.According to The reporter, the teacher identified as Hamisu Galadima, is said to be a serial rapist.

 He had reportedly lured the pupil into the staff room sometime in July and molested her. The alleged rapist was said to have threatened to beat the pupil up if she informed her parents or anybody in the school about the act. It was learnt that the victim later told her father,

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Eight star players that fell out with Guardiola

Joe Hart and Yaya Toure are already feeling the heat and from all indications the exit might be the next options for both players as their importance to the club seems meaningless to Guardiola.

 Pep Guardiola on the sidelines on his debut for Manchester City against Sunderlan Guardiola’s previous appointments with Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also seen keys players axed from the sqaud and eventually leaving the club. Here are eight star players who Guardiola has kicked out while leading a team

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NABTEB releases May/June 2016 results

The registrar/chief executive of NABTEB, who announced the release of the results while addressing journalists, said out of the 69,472 candidates that enrolled for nationwide, 38,280 candidates have five credits and above with English Language and Mathematics, representing 55.93 percent, while 54,485 have five credits and above with or without English Language and Mathematics representing 79.61percent of those examined.

 According to the registrar, a total of 68,437 candidates  sat for the examinations which had 15 engineering trades, seven construction trades, nine miscellaneous trades totaling 35, while 16 general education subjects were also registered for by the candidates.

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PDP has no moral justification to criticise Buhari - Oyegun

According to him, “it is stomach-churning and downright immoral for the ruinous PDP, which has yet to show remorse or exhibit any form of penitence for presiding over the mindless looting of the nation’s treasury, to now put itself up as the saviour of Nigerians.” Oyegun who noted that even among thieves, there must be honour, said Nigerians, who are now bearing the brunt of the economy that was mindlessly mismanaged by the PDP, cannot forget in a hurry that some $15 billion – which is about half of the nation’s foreign reserves at the end of the tenure of the PDP-led federal government – was mismanaged under the guise of the equipping the military, when in reality the funds were largely salted away by PDP fat cats.

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Speaker Dogara reveals present state of 2016 budget.

The Speaker of the House Of Representatives Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara re-affirmed on Saturday, August 13 that no fund was misappropriated, stolen or missing in the 2016 budget.
 Dogara made this known in a statement issued at Abuja, the federal capital territory through his special adviser on media and public affairs, Turaki Hassan.

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Three killed following Igbo, Hausa clash in Imo state

The police command in Imo state has said that three people have been killed following an inter-ethnic flare-up in the state.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), two women and a man were murdered at Akokwa community in Ideato Local Government Area on Friday, August 12.

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Ekiti workers' group slams Fayose over attack on Buhari

A pressure group within the in Ekiti state civil service, Enlightened Workers’ Forum (EWF) has criticized Governor Ayo Fayose for his outbursts on a radio programme, where he attacked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the recent seizure of his assets.

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Kenya Culture

This gives an overview about Kenya culture: both on the national psyche, lifestyle, rules in social life, the place of religion and the tribes, and more. Also have a look at my separate pages about Kenya art, music and language.

National and tribal culture

There are between 40 and 70tribes in Kenya, depending on how you count. Although their role in Kenya culture is slowly diminishing, it’s still one of the most important facts of social life. As a result, national consciousness is quite weak.
The focus on the tribe is holding the country back in some ways. For example, tribalism has led to favoritism and corruption in politics. Members of one tribe ‘help’ each other with benefits and voters all too often support a politician because of his ethnicity, rather than

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Julian Assange fuels conspiracy theories about Democratic aide’s death

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday floated a theory that the Democratic National Committee staffer who was shot dead in the streets of Washington last month had been targeted because the operative was an informant.

In an interview on Dutch television, the Australian cyberactivist invoked the unsolved killing of Seth Rich, 27, earlier this summer to illustrate the risks of being a source for his organization.

Citing WikiLeaks protocol, Assange refused to confirm whether or not Rich was in fact a source for WikiLeaks, which has released thousands of internal DNC emails, some of them politically embarrassing. Experts and U.S. government officials reportedly believe that hackers linked to the Russian government infiltrated the DNC and gave the email trove to WikiLeaks.

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Mikel Obi pays $4000 to free squad after hotel officials held them to ransom over bills

John Mikel Obi paid $4000 to free the Olympic football squad after the team was held to ransom by hotel officials in Sao Paulo over bills incurred by additional NFF officials according to reports.

According to the report by African Football, the team is comprised of 25 players-18 players and 7 officials, but extra five officials were added to the team's hotel roster, and the hotel management insisted the team pay before departing, but instead of the NFF or the Sports Ministry to pay up the bills, Mikel Obi, who is also Team Nigeria's captain shelled out $4,000 before they were allowed to leave the Sao Paulo hotel to Salvador.

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After Newcastle captain has been rejected by Arsenal he is begging for Real Madrid transfer

Moussa Sissoko has publicly stated that he is waiting for Real Madrid to approach him. The French international was part of the Newcastle squad that suffered relegation from the EPL this season. However, the 26-year-old has no plans to play in the Championship next term.The midfielder said: “It was a complicated season. Many things happened during the season. Things are done. Now it is for me to look further.” Sissoko has made it clear that he would be happy to join Arsenal:

“It’s very flattering. Arsenal is one of the best European clubs. To be followed by this kind of club, it proves that we have the quality. “It’s good to know.

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Ekiti group wants Segun Oni to take over from Fayose

The Nigeria Progressive Vanguard (NPV), a socio-economic group based in Ekiti state, is putting pressure on a former governor of Ekiti and current national deputy chairman (south) of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Engr Segun Oni, to help rescue the state by contesting in its forthcoming election.

 The group said it took the decision after a deep research and investigation into those who want to take over from Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2018. Daily Times reports that in a statement signed by the state chairman and the secretary of the group, Hon Lawal Adegoke-Bamayi and Tayo Ojo respectively, the association said: “Having observed clinically and objectively,

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Naira crashes again at parallel market

The Naira last week fell to its lowest level since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced a new forex policy in June. The Naira exchanged at 400/$1 in what came as a surprise to many. But even at that, some had expected the Naira to strengthen at the start of the new week. However, the nation’s currency yet again has shown inconsistency.

This follows a report from a Bureau de change operator in Lagos, who disclosed that the local currency has again plummeted as it lost N1 to trade at N395/$1 today, August 11, as against the N394/$1 rate it was on Wednesday, August 10. “In the wake of reports that the CBN will resume sales of BDC to us, there is hope. I believe we will begin to see huge activity in

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'I'm not leaving huge debt for my successor,' Governor says

Outgoing Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole on Thursday, August 11, said his administration is owing only four years of unpaid pensions after settling nine years pensioners’ entitlements.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, Oshiomhole said he is not leaving behind a huge liability for his successor, contrary to the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP had alleged that Oshiomhole's failure to pay pensioners’ arrears might cripple the incoming administration in the state.
Oshiomhole said: "From 1998 when the Army left, to 1999 and to the end of 2008 when I took over, that was a period of 13 years.

"So, we found a pension bill of 13 years, arrears of gratuity and pension not paid by the PDP government including the 7,000 people they dismissed.

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Senate president Bukola Saraki, has applauded the EFCC, for investigating and arresting a contractor

Senate president  Bukola Saraki, has applauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for investigating and arresting a contractor who diverted 60 trucks of grains that were allocated to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State by the federal government.

In a statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his special adviser on media and publicity, on the arrest of the contractor, the Senate president denounced the actions of individuals who were attempting to enrich themselves off the plight of the IDPs, stating that it was unconscionable for anyone to attempt to defraud millions of displaced Nigerians in the North East that are on the verge of becoming malnourished. “I have been to the zone twice in the past 14 months and I have experienced firsthand that the IDPs need as much food as they can get. It is utterly immoral for someone to withhold food, in an attempt to enrich himself while women and children are starving”, Saraki said.

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Fuel Crisis: Don’t take us for a ride, NUPENG tells FG

Following speculations that price of petrol might rise to N151.87 per litre, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Lagos chapter has described the news of a looming increase in the pump price of petrol as unwelcome and worrisome. Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the chairman of NUPENG, Lagos Zone said; “It is a bad idea to say petrol price will increase again. Nigerians will not welcome any further increase. Truly, we saw the foreign exchange crumbling on daily basis, but it shouldn’t be an excuse.” 

 He said if the government could subsidise forex for pilgrims, it should also be prepared to subsidise whatever increase that would come from any crisis the marketers might be having concerning the fuel price.  “Government should not take us for a ride because nobody is going to take it the way the marketers are thinking.

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Agriculture is my number one priority - Buhari

The president revealed this at a send-off meeting with Hoang Ngoc Ho, the out-going Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Tuesday, August 9 at the State House in Abuja.

 In a statement issued by Garba Shehu, senior special assistant on media to President Buhari, he said the significant importance of agriculture is one of the number one agenda of the Buhari-led government in order to achieve food self-sufficiency, economic revival and jobs creation. “We are hoping to motivate fellow Nigerians to work hard in this regard.

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I Will Lead PDP To Retake Power In 2019 – Jimi Agbaje

Speaking with journalists shortly after he picked the nomination forms for the chairmanship position of the party in Abuja, Mr Agbaje said as a candidate who does not belong to any of the factions in the party, he stands a better chance to unite all the contending forces in the party.

According to him, it was high time the party learnt from its mistakes of the past that cost it power at the national level as well as some states that it had previously won.

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Resources lean but we are determined - Minister says

Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has said that though the ministry was working with lean resources, it was determined to do more in the interest of Nigerians.
Fashola said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a Town Hall/Policy Dialogue for Good Governance organised by the Alumni Association of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (AANI).
The theme of the meeting which was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Culture was `` Towards Effective Implementation of the 2016 Budget’’.
The minister said that the ministry inherited 206 uncompleted road projects across the country, adding that contractors of most of the projects had since been mobilised to site.
According to him, the Federal Government has paid N300 billion for various projects since the budget was passed out of which the ministry received N102 billion.

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FG released N331bn to power, defence, others - Udoma

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, on Tuesday said that the Federal Government had so far released N331.58 billion to Ministries of Defence and Power.
Udoma made this known at a Town Hall Meeting and Policy Dialogue for Good Governance organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Abuja.
The meeting was organised by the ministry in collaboration with Alumni Association of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies with the theme: ``Toward Effective Implementation of the 2016 Budget’’.

The minister said that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing got bulk of the fund so far released by the ministry of budget and national planning.

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NDLEA seizes 20 tonnes of illicit drugs from 87 suspects

The Commandant of the agency in Borno, Mr Ona Ogilegwu, announced this in Maiduguri on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stating that the agency made the seizure in Maiduguri from 2014 till date.
``It will interest you to know that the command had been recording remarkable successes in its fight against drug abuse in Borno.
``The command has so far recovered a lot of psychotropic substances in different raids ranging from Indian hemp, cough syrup, diazepam and cocaine, among other drugs.

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I Can Never Return To PDP – Obasanjo

Obasanjo said having announced his exit from partisan politics publicly, it is impossible for him to return to a “divided, factionalized party gasping for breath.”

The former President was allegedly reported to have attended a PDP’s convention meeting held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Abeokuta on Saturday, August 6, 2016, the ex-Chairman, Board of Trustee (BoT) of PDP referred to the members of his former party, who came to greet him during his meeting at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre as ‘invaders and gate-crashers’.

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We’ll Kill Muslims, Attack Mosques If Boko Haram Kills Christians – Niger Delta Militants

A militant group, the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, has vowed to carry out retaliatory attacks on Muslim faithful and mosques in the Niger Delta if the depleted insurgent group, Boko Haram carries out its threat to kill Christians and burn churches.

Boko Haram’s new leader, Abu Mafabel Barnawi it will be recalled, had threatened to kill Christians and burn down churches.

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NFF Set To Appoint Gernot Rohr As New Super Eagles Coach

According to reports, The Nigeria Football Federation has selected a German, Gernot Rohr, to manage the Super Eagles.
Rohr has already accepted the terms and conditions of the job and is ready to stay in Nigeria and lead the Eagles to the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
It was also confirmed that he would be introduced to Nigerians in Abuja on Monday.

“The man is coming to live in Nigeria and work with our vision to develop Nigerian football. Qualifying for tournaments don’t really translate to proper development and so he is coming to stay here with his family and work with the federation and Nigerians,” Pinnick said.

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