PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

     The Uyo zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday July 27, 2018, took over a merchant vessel MV EFEMENA along with its content of 773,472 litres of illegally refined petroleum product and 8 crew members from the Nigerian Navy in Calabar Cross River state. The Commander NNS Victory, Comd. Julius A. Nwagu said his men effected the arrest of the vessel and cargo  along with the eight Nigerian crew members on board the said vessel on April 18, 2018, along the Calabar water ways, following an intelligence report. According to Comd. Nwagu the vessel was loaded with the illegal petroleum product around Utue platform an offshore oil field days before the approved date granted it. "MV EFEMENA was granted Naval Headquarters and Eastern Naval Command approvals to load 1,000 metric tons of AGO via ship to ship transfer from MT BAKER offshore Escravos, from 17 to 30 April 2018, but loaded the illegal product from other sources days before appr

       The Senator of Igbo Renaissance (Senator   Victor Umeh ) arrived Awka to commission the Contemporary Art Gallery of Igbo Cultur e. The Art Gallery was anchored by one of the Youngest Igbo artist in the East of Niger, Izuchukwu Iloh, CEO Art Guru Gallery. As the unveiling of various Art works and Artifacts were ongoing with reviews, the Senator of Goodwill advised the upcoming Youths to be innovative and resourceful with their talents like Izuchukwu Iloh, he promised the Young Artist for sponsorship of International Art Exhibition abroad and collected the Original Copy of the Ala Igbo Sculpture with 1 Million Naira in support of the exhibition. Such artifacts if unveiled at the New York Museum will be valued in Millions of dollars . The Alaigbo Sculpture is an artifact that was insightfully made by the renowned artist Izuchukwu Iloh which depicts the ingenious nature of the Igbos at home and diaspora, and how the Igbo man has been self reliant and Successful across the

      Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and his counterpart in Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki on Sunday heaped accolades on the Dean Emeritus of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and outgoing Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Most Rev Adebola Ademowo on his 70 th  birthday, describing him as a respected clergy who contributed significantly to mankind and national development. Speaking to reporters at a special thanksgiving service to mark Ademowo’s 70 th  birthday and retirement held at Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina in Lagos, Governor Ambode commended the clergyman for serving the State meritoriously, saying it was not in doubt that he made significant impact to the development of the State and the nation in general. According to the Governor, “For somebody that has served Lagos so meritoriously; he (Bishop Ademowo) has been like a father to all of us, and I just want to first of all say a big thank you to him on behalf of all Lagosians and for attaining the age of 70,

      Impressed by the efforts of Kaduna State Government towards improving service delivery at Public hospitals with the installation of 34 Solar Units, which provides 1.7mw electricity to 34 Primary Healthcare Centers in 21 LGAs in a programme tagged "Kaduna Solar for Clinic" project, EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS have offered a grant of €10m to scale-up the solar project which wil l provide renewable source of electricity to rural hospitals, secondary schools, primary schools and water treatment plants across the state. This grant demonstrates confidence of international donors and development partners on Kaduna state government for prudent management of resources, especially investment in the social sector; education and health.  More photos below.

    Yesterday,  Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai together with his wife, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai were at the Commissioning of Nisa Gynae & Fertility Clinic, located at No. 5, Yakubu Avenue, Unguwar Rimi. The KDSG is committed to providing an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.  More photos below.

   Senate President Bukola Saraki shared this photo above on social media with the caption '' I had a great time discussing new ways of making progress in our economy over breakfast with the Nigerian cohort of the Obama Foundation Leaders Program. We had an interesting session exploring innovative ways to tackle issues like ease of doing business, progressive leaderships at MDAs through oversight, and our education curriculum. It is always refreshing to meet with forward-thinking and vibrant minds who have fully committed themselves to influencing national policy and taking advantage of legislative actions to further their combined agenda. I have committed to follow-up with industry specific hearings to produce an action plan''.

         President, Governing Board, ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) and Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is leading a delegation to monitor Mali's Presidential election holding today. PICS 1,2 & 6: Prof. Yakubu being interviewed by the Aljazeera Network crew in Bamako. PIC 3: Resident Electoral Commissioner, Kano State, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu (left) and Special Adviser to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mohammad Kuna. PIC 4 & 5: President, Mali's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Mr. Amadou Bah (left) and Prof Yakubu at the CENI headquarters in Bamako.More photos below.

       Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the recent gale of defections that hit the All Progressives Congress (APC ) were due to the fact that the APC Federal Government has failed Nigerians. He declared that the APC Federal Government runs on vindictiveness, intimidation and illegality, whilst denying Nigerians the dividends of democracy. Addressing journalists after projects inspection on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Governor Wike stated that more high profile defections are in the offing across the country. He said: "Politics is all about alignments and re-alignments. We expected these defections , knowing that the ruling party at the National level has completely failed the people. "It is not hidden that even when they had majority in the two chambers of the National Assembly, they never had it easy because their representatives knew the APC has nothing to offer the people. "For me, I had expected these defections more than

      A filling station located at the intersection between Amawbia bypass and the Old Awka- Onitsha has been demolished by Anambra State government.   The exercise was jointly supervised by officials of the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, ACTDA and the State Physical Planning Board with support from men of the Nigeria Police Force. The owner of the filling station it was gathered, has been properly served notice of eviction and offered an alternative location to relocate to.  The filling station which situates in a densely populated residential area, poses a threat to the residents in the event of an inferno while also contributing to the gridlock usually experienced at the traffic light end of the Amawbia bypass.More photos below.

     Scores of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders from Mbadwem Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State yesterday defected and join Governor Samuel Ortom in the People's Democratic Party (PDP). They met at the residence of Elder Edward Iorkyaa, where they announced the decision. The stakeholders also burnt brooms to signify that they have parted way with the broom party. The Mbadwem stakeholders named Ortom's unwavering stance against Fulani attacks, persecution from the APC and the governor's developmental drive as some of the reasons that informed their decision Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Emmanuel Shior, was pleased with the decision of his kinsmen to join forces with Governor Ortom. He observed that though they had been in the APC, the spate of attacks on the state by armed Fulani herdsmen received little attention from the APC controlled Federal Government. According to Shior, the party&