PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

                     The Minister of Information and Culture,Alhaji Lai Mohammed,yesterday wednesday hailed Nigerian TV and film content producers for their impressive work in deepening the industry,but challenged them to do more to tell the Nigerian story and do more of co-production to enrich their content.The Minister made the commendation in Cannes,France,where he is at the head of the Nigerian delegation to the ongoing 2017 MIPTV,the biggest forum for TV and online content producers in the world.He said he was quite impressed with the presence of such Nigerian content producers as Iroko,Aforevo and Consolidated Media Associates Ltd,owners of Souundcity and Ontv,Spice TV,Access24 and OnMax,at the global forum,hence his decision to personal visit their stands to encourage and support them.On the importance of the forum,Alhaji Mohammed described MIPTV as ''a shopping mall for content and formats for chamnnels,'' ading: ''The idea of this MIPTV is to create a f

                                       Chief of Air Staff,Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar said that the Nigerian Air Force has concluded arrangements for the establishment of Air War College to be located in Makurdi,the Benue State Capital.He disclosed this during a courtesy call on Governor Samuel Ortom in Makudi requested for early resolution of issues concerning land titles for some of the organisation's establishments.He said the Airforce Secondary School located in Makurdi would be expanded and assured Benue State Government of the organisation's readiness to contribute to improvement of general security in the state.Air Marshall Abubakar said there are plans for the deployment of surveillance Jets and Helicopter gunshots to track the movement of criminal elements within the Benue region adding that President Muhammadu Buhari had given the Air-Force excess air planes.The Chief of Air Staff appealed to the governor to request the communities having security challenges to suppor

                   Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state has said that the Umueri Airport City Project which will be flagged off on tuesday,April 11th,2017 will be among the best and biggest of such Airport City projects in Africa.Governor Obiano speaking exclusively with the Anambra Broadcasting Service {ABS} was elated at the socio-economic prospects the project located at Umueri in Anambra East Local Government Area will bring to the State.''Ndi Anambra should brace themselves for a whole new world of economic opportunities and possibilities.The project will bring jobs,promote tourism,encourage investments in power,housing,healthcare and other sectors not just for the surrounding towns but for the whole state.The value chain of a mega project like this when operational in three years,will triple the Gross Domestic Product of Anambra State'',Governor Obiano said.The Anambra Airport City Project is conceptualized as both a passenger and cargo airport.The key partners

                                                          The Kadunal Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC have arrested members of a notorious syndicate of fraudsters made of four Nigerians and one Nigerien who specialise in duping innocent persons of their hard earned monies.Those arrested are Salisu Rabiu,a.k.a Maimagani; Ibrahim Idris,a.k.a Dankano; Magaji Musa {Nigerien} a.k.a Maishayi; Haruna Abdullahi,a.k.a Balogun and Abubakar Umar,a.k.s Fulani.The suspects were arrested in a bush along Sabon Gari,Kurmin Kogi,Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna state.A search of their hide out which is suspected to be a kidnappers den led to the startling discovery of a sum of five hundred and seventy thousand {$570,000} fake US dollars and some charms.The five man gang met their waterloo when they conspired among themselves to lure an unsuspecting victim into believing that some unclaimed boxes containing huge amount off USD were kept with some herdsmen believed

                 Today thurday 6th of April 2017,EFCC secured the conviction and sentences of one Sabo Abdullahi before Justice M.G Umar of the Federal High Court,Gombe on two count charge prefered against him.Sabo,a former retainership billing officer,under the finance department of the Federal Teaching Hospital,Gombe was arrested by the EFCC operatives of the Gombe Zonal office following a petition by his employee.He was alleged to have used his position to defraud some individuals retainership clients including the Gombe State Government House,various Banks,Federal and State Government Adencies which they used to receive the hospital servicess on credit and to settle the bills via payment.Sometime in 2012,the convict received the sum of N18,208,866.50 on behalf of his employee from Gombe state Government House meant for settlement of the medical bills,but only remitted N9,475,100.00 to the hospital and converted the remaining balance of N8,729,766.50 to his personal benefit.He was a

                                                                  The Economic and Financial Crime Commission,EFCC,yesterday wednesday April 5,2017,arraigned the duo of Udenze Ikenna Kenneth and Egwuatu Dozie Joseph on a Nine count charge,bothering on Money Laundering.While taking their plea before Hon. Justice Gafai of the Federal High Court sitting in Awka,the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the entire charge.In view of their plea,their Counsels Barr Chuks Umeh and Barr Innocent Inoke respectively applied for their bail,which the Judge granted,with the following conditions:Two sureties on grade level 10 and above in the service of the Anambra State Government; must be resident in Awka,with documents verified by the prosecution and submitted to the court.The presiding Judge then adjourned to May 18,2017,for commencement of trial.The accused persons were alleged to have illegally concealed the sum of N2,982,388 {Two Million Nine Hundred and Eighty-Eighty Naira} which is said to b

                The Lagos State Government has terminated the contract for the construction of a 48-bedroom hotel project at the VIP chalets in Badagry,which was awarded in 2013 to Messrs.Anatolia International Limited.The project is currently being promoted as part of measures by the Ambode-led administration to boost tourism within the Badagry axis.A statement issued today thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy,Mr Steve Ayorinde,stated that the decision to terminate the contract followed a resolution taken at the State Executive Council meeting which held on wednesday after an appraisal of progress report on the project.The statement said the pace of work was not commensurate with the amount already released for the project.It also cited inefficiency and overall poor performance by the contractor as reasons for the contract termination and the subsequent blacklisting of the said company.It maintained that one of the major policy thrusts of the current administratio