PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

       OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT NEWS RELEASE WITH the significant progress now recorded in the Ogoni Clean-Up project, attracting local and international commendation, the Buhari administration’s New Vision for the Niger Delta is making good progress. According to Mr. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in response to media inquiries over the weekend, noted that the progress report on the Niger Delta New Vision indicate clearly that “since the Ogoni Cleanup commenced in January 2019, with 16 contractors moving to site, a total of 21 sites has so far been handed over to contractors by Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) under the Federal Ministry of Environment.” This is besides the commencement of the Maritime University in Delta State now on full steam with over 1,000 students spread across 13 undergraduate courses in three faculties; and the progress made in the establishment of modular refineries, including the

      Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, visited Amu Plank Market in Mushin on Sunday to sympathise with victims of a midnight fire that razed several shops and destroyed goods worth billions. The inferno, which started in the midnight of Saturday, was said to be the first major fire incident in the popular timber market. No life was lost. Men of the Lagos State Fire Service and emergency response teams from Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) and Lagos State Safety Commission remained on the site to completely put the situation under control and salvage unaffected goods. They were joined by teams of firefighters from Federal Fire Service and Julius Berger. Sanwo-Olu, who described the incident as “unfortunate”, allayed the fears of the traders, saying the State Government was more interested in supporting the victims back on their feet, rather than ejecting them from the site. The Governor, who was received by a large crowd of traders, said there wo

      26th January 2020 By Gyang Bere, Jos Tears flows freely today when Plateau youths under the umbrella of G17 Peace and Progressive Forum staged a peaceful procession to demand urgently release of Plateau youths who are languishing in Boko Haram captivity in the North East. The youths, who dressed in black, drawn across the 17 local government areas of the state and Southern Kaduna described the execution of a 200-level student of University of Maiduguri student, Ropvil Daciya, who hail from Plateau as an attack on Christians in Plateau. Spokesman of the G-17 youths, John Baling urged Federal Government to facilitate the release of Bashiru Abdulhamid, a health worker and Miss Lilian Gyang, a 100-Level student of University of Maiduguri who are wallowing in Boko Haram captivity. “President Muhammadu Buhari must take responsibility for every act of negligence on the part of those appointed to provide leadership and direction to the nation’s security forces and should therefore sanc

26th January 2020 Twin suicide bombers linked to the Boko Haram sect attacked a mosque in Gwoza, Borno state, on Sunday, killing a 12-year-old child and leaving many people injured. A security source, who disclosed this to TheCable, said the suicide bombers forced their way into the mosque while prayer was ongoing. The source said before some persons in the neighbourhood raised the alarm, the attackers had already gained entry into the mosque. The incident happened around Guduf Nagadiyo at Bulabaulin in Gwoza.

       Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, at 41 years old. TMZ has confirmed  that his eldest daughter, Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant, was also killed in the accident. She was 13 years old.According to TMZ, the pair was traveling to the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, for a basketball practice when the crash occurred. They were among at least five people confirmed dead in the accident, including another player and parent. Bryant's wife, Vanessa, is not thought to be among them. Bryant's legacy not only in the NBA but across the world of sports  cannot be understated, and he passed his love of the game on to Gianna. They had been spotted sitting courtside at NBA games in recent months, and Kobe had stated in the past that  she aspired to one day play college basketball for UConn  .May their souls rest in peace,Amen.More photos below.

     Billonaire Philanthropist and Action Alliance {AA} Senatorial Candidate in the last general election in Imo North Senatorial District Hon. Ndubuisi Emenike {Ototonwa} was mistakenly shot dead by his security aide at Isiala Mbano. According to another source,he was shot by a NSCDC {Nigerian Civil Defence Corps } and the incident took place around 5-pm during a victory party for the All Progressives Congress candidate at the rerun election in Okigwe North Federal Constituency held on Saturday.The NSCDC officer who was attached to him was shooting consistently into the air and mistakenly shot his boss which brought the victory party to an abrupt end.The victim fell and lost consciousness and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital,St Joseph's Hospital,Umunachi,before he was later rushed to the Federal Medical Center,Owerri,in an ambulance.May his soul rest in peace,Amen.One more photo below.    

      By Baba Anthony, Gashu'a. The empowerment tools which included: 1 Big Grain Granding Machine 20 Units 2 Small Grain Granding Machine 60 Units 3 Bokanizing Machine 40 Units 4 Ambulance 4 Units 5 Sharon Bus 34 Units 6 Keke Napep 100 Units 7 Desktop Computer 160 Units 8 Computer Laptop 33 Units 9 Printer 160 Units 10 Exercise Books/Text Books 36000 Units 11 Sewing Machine 172 Units 12 Granding Machine 122 Units 13 Transformers 21 Units 14 Irrigation Pumping Machine 1000 Uints 15 Standing Freezer 60 Units 16 Fertilizer 300 Units 17 Keke Napep Jega Mai Bodi 40 Units 18 Agro Burning Sprayer 60 Units 19 Agro Chemicals 40 Units 20 87 Million Naira for 360 Youths. More photos below.

      President Muhammadu Buhari has received assurances that with the harmattan dust gradually easing its hold on the skies, fighter aircraft would this week join the efforts to provide effective air attacks against bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers that have been attacking remote communities around Dogon Gona forest in Niger State. The President, who described the repeated attacks  leading to the losses of several lives in the communities “as a disaster for the nation,” had authorized the deployment of air power to support troops and policemen deployed to the “difficult terrain,” to counter the menace of the attackers operating in the forest area bordering Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states. In line with this directive, the Nigerian Air Force is setting up refueling facilities at Minna, Niger State to support the aircraft operations, giving assurances that given the improved weather conditions, a major exercise to “visually acquire targets” and launch attacks will soon foll

     Pat Cipollone: We are going to confront House managers on the merit of their arguments White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said Democrats have no case and are doing damage to democracy by trying to undermine the will of American voters. Donald Trump's lawyers defended the president against articles of impeachment Saturday morning arguing it’s the Democrats trying to interfere in elections by seeking to remove Trump from the 2020 ballot for doing “absolutely nothing wrong.” White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said Democrats have no case and are doing damage to democracy by trying to undermine the will of American voters. “For all their talk about election interference, they're here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history,” Cipollone said in his opening remarks to the Senate. “And we can't allow that to happen." Cipollone continued: “It would violate the sacred trust that the American people have placed in you and have

        By Gbenro Adeoye, Friday Olokor and Hindi Livinus 26th January 2020 The family of Christian teenage schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram terrorists in 2018, Leah Sharibu, has described reports that she had a baby boy in captivity as a rumour. A senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Jos, Dr. Gloria Puldu, who speaks for the family, also told Sunday Punch on Saturday that all they wanted was to have Leah home alive, with or without a baby. Some media reports had earlier reported that Leah had a baby for a Boko Haram commander in Niger Republic and that she would have been released some months ago but for her pregnancy. Dismissing the reports, Puldu said, “I have seen reports that Leah had a baby boy. That is just a rumour as far as we are concerned. What we even desire is to see a proof of life so that we see Leah by ourselves. If they are able to have Leah safe, we will understand. “The most important thing is that we want her to be alive. And if

      Breaking News Ongoing Candlelight procession in Jos in honor of Ropvil Daciya, 200L student of University of Maiduguri kidnapped and killed by Boko Haram along Maiduguri-Damaturu road on the 9th January 2020. Plateau mourns. Rest in peace Ropvil..More photos below.

       Mike Ezuruonye undergoes eye surgery following abnormal growth on both eyes due to 'harsh movie production lights'... Mike Ezuruonye is grateful for the gift of sight after he spent 8 hours undergoing surgery to fix his eyes. The actor revealed he had a growth encroaching the pupil of both eyes due to harsh movie production lights. A doctor advised that he should undergo surgery to prevent permanent damage and he took the advice. He went on to point out that people who spend a long time looking at their phones and laptop screens are at risk of such danger and he advised such people to go for check-up. He wrote: Forgive being Reluctant but just had to share..Many don’t know what we go through in the course of our work (FILM MAKING).. Had a growth encroaching the pupil of both eyes cos of over exposure to HARSH movie Production LIGHTS over the Years...(Heard looking into your PHONE/COMPUTER for too long also puts one in Danger)..Advised to get Surgery done,I

      The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Saturday, January 25, 2020, shed light on why some petitions sent to the anti-graft agency are returned. According to him, every petition received by the commission passes through the Screening Committee who considers the content and determine whether it falls within the scope of its constitutional mandate. The EFCC chairman made the explanation while featuring on “Talk Radio”, a morning programme of the Ibadan-based Inspiration 100.5 FM. “Before we commence investigations on any petition, we give them to the Screening Committee for review. The committee will look at the content and advise accordingly on what to do. “If it is something we should handle, we launch into action. If not, we guide the petitioner on the appropriate place to take it to,” he said.More photos below.

     The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday, 24 January 2020, inaugurated the maiden Command Responsibility Course at the Air Force War College (AFWC), Makurdi in Benue State. The Command Responsibility Course 1/2020, which has 24 participants, is designed to expose the commanders and potential commanders to knowledge and skills which would enable them function effectively and efficiently in l ine with the ethics and core values of the NAF. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the Guest of Honour (GOH), the Chief of Administration (COA) Headquarters NAF, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Muhammed Idris, while acknowledging the foresight of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for initiating the Course, remarked that in order for the NAF to meet its constitutional role of ensuring Nigeria’s territorial integrity, it needs competent commanders at all levels to provide the requisite leadership for the attainment of organizational goals. According to him, “the im

      The Corps Marshal , Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has decried the continuous carriage of containers by flatbed trailers without proper latching on the highways and ordered immediate impoundment of such vehicles by patrol teams anytime they are sighted In a press statement by the Corps Pubic Education Officer , Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Ma rshal in a bid to get such dangerous trailers off the road has cemented partnership with the Nigerian Ports Authority to ensure that such vehicles are not allowed to leave the Ports in the first instance unless on the condition of full compliance of the latching and with other maximum safety standards. Speaking on the dangers of such to other road users, Oyeyemi said that apart from the dangers to lives and properties, these containers when they fall on the highways or any part of the road; can easily lead to unnecessary road obstruction that will cause undue hardship to motorists who will have much of their traveling time wast

    26th January, 2020 Press Release 86 suspects arrested for cultism and violent attacks in Ikorodu On  25/1/2020 at about  0600hour, acting on credible intelligence, the Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants established by the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu psc arrested 21 cult suspects at Adamo community, Imota. The suspects who belong to two rival cult groups,  Aiye and Eiye confraternity, mobilised from Emure and Adamo communities  to unleash  terror on residents of Adamo community and environs. The arrest was carried out in a joined operations with operatives from Imota Police Station, Rapid Response Squad, Special Anti Robbery Squad and Area N Command. This is a follow up to the Operations carried out at Ijede where 65 cult suspects were arrested. Eleven assorted pistols of different calibre with large quantity of ammunition were recovered from the suspects. The suspects confessed to be responsible for series of violent attacks, murder and armed ro