PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

Army recruitment: Zulum approves N12.8m support for 641 Borno candidates   … Adds N15,000 as monthly allowance   Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum on Wednesday approved N12.8m as support for 641 candidates currently at their final stage of exercises to qualify for recruitment into the Nigerian Army's 81 regular intake for 2021.   Zulum announced the support, while addressing the candidates at Maimalari barracks in Maiduguri. The Governor was received at the barracks by the theatre commander of operation Hadin Kai, Major General Christopher Musa.   The 641 candidates, each of whom is to get N20, 000, were those who passed different stages of medical and fitness tests and soon to leave for final military fitness exercises at Falgore Game Reserve in Kano from where successful candidates will be recruited into the army.    Governor Zulum urged all the candidates, many of whom hailed from the 27 local government areas of Borno state ...

 Borno: Zulum Commissions Five Primary, Secondary Schools   … Directs Recruitment of 3,000 Teachers  … Wants Schools Maintenance Unit  Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Tuesday commissioned five primary and secondary schools carried out by the Borno State Education Trust Fund, created by the administration.  Complete rehabilitation works were carried out to transform existing structures in the five schools while new classrooms were constructed.  More than 5000 school buildings were destroyed by Boko Haram in primary, secondary and tertiary schools in different parts of Borno State since 2009,  according to a 2016 report co-authored by the World Bank, European Union, Nigeria’s Federal Government and governments of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States which make up the northeast where the insurgents have been operating.   Zulum has, since 2019, constructed dozens of Mega-sized secondary schools, cons...

Staff at the State House in Abuja have taken an oath of secrecy and warned that disclosing confidential information without authorisation will attract penalties under public service rules. The warning was issued by the Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar at the administration of Oath of Secrecy and Declaration of Secrecy to 42 staff of the State House, administered by Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court on Tuesday. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Assistant Director Information, State House, Patience Tilley-Gyado Tilley-Gyadi said the Permanent Secretary explained that the oaths were administered to staff members who handle classified documents. ‘‘We discovered that due to deployment of officers and retirement a number of our staff need to be placed under the radar so that they will be aware that their jobs, the kind of documents or information they are handling from day to day and beyond, are so important and must be safeguarded. ‘‘That’s the reason we ...

Justice Gideon Kurada of the Kaduna State High Court has acquitted and discharged the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El- Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat Ibrahim who have been standing trial in the court for the past four years. In a judgement delivered on Wednesday, Justice Kurada said the case was not shown nor proven by the prosecutor. El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, are standing trial on eight counts bordering on alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disruption of public peace, among others. The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. The couple have been in detention since 2015, after IMN supporters clashed with soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna.

EFCC ARRESTS EX-GOVERNOR, WIFE OVER CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS -The ex-governor is being grilled at the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, sources say.  July 28, 2021 The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Governor of Nasarawa State and serving senator, Tanko Al-Makura, and his wife, Mairo. The couples are currently being grilled by operatives of the anti-graft agency at its headquarters in Abuja, sources in the anti-graft agency told PREMIUM TIMES. Although details of the allegation against the ex-governor and his wife were sketchy as of press time, the sources said their arrest relates to an alleged breach of trust and misappropriation of funds allegedly perpetrated during the former governor’s eight-year administration as Nasarawa State governor. Mr Al-Makura served as Governor of Nasarawa State between 2011 and 2019 before he was elected into the National Assembly as Senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District. When contacted, the spok...

 *Rivers State Executive Council endorses mandatory registration of residents. Rivers State Executive Council has approved the proposed bill that will give legal backing to the ban on open rearing and grazing of livestock in the State. The endorsement was made at its meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt, which was presided over by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Wednesday. Briefing journalists after the meeting on Wednesday, the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN) said it was impossible for the State to enforce the resolution of the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum on the ban on open rearing and grazing of livestock without an enabling law. According to him, the office of the Attorney General of the State did a draft of the legal instrument, which has been adopted by the council. “You will all recall that on the 11 May 2021, the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum meet in Asaba and in that crucial meeting adopted series of res...

 US Lawmakers Stop $875m Military Equipment Sale To Nigeria Over Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, Human Rights Abuse  United States lawmakers are stalling a proposed sale of attack helicopters to Nigeria amid mounting concerns about the Nigerian government’s human rights record as its military grapples with multiple security crises at once, Foreign Policy magazine reports. The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have delayed clearing a proposed sale of 12 AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters and accompanying defense systems to the Nigerian military, pausing a deal worth some $875 million, according to U.S. officials and congressional aides familiar with the matter. The behind-the-scenes controversy over the proposed arms sale illustrates a broader debate among Washington policymakers over how to balance national security with human rights objectives. The hold on the sale also showcases how powerful U.S. lawmakers want to push the Biden administration to ret...

A delegation from the Organisation of Military Sports in Africa(OSMA) and Council of International Military Sports for Africa (CISM) led by OSMA President, Brigadier General Maikano Abdullahi today Tuesday 27 July 2021 visited Army Headquarters where he solicited for the support of the Nigerian Army in the activities of both Organisations.  The OSMA President, who doubles as the Vice President CISM said the delegation is in Nigeria for the Council Meeting of the Organisations, hence decided to use the opportunity to visit Defence and Service Headquarters. He used the visit to inform the COAS of the SAHEL Countries Armed Forces Sports Competition slated to hold between 9 -19 October 2021 in Nigeria. He added that the idea to bring the Armed Forces of various African countries together through sports  is to aid the military in the fight against insurgency and other security challenges in Africa.  Responding, the COAS represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army) Maj G...

Message from the Honorable Commissioner of Health, Nasarawa State Ministry of Health on the 2021 World Hepatitis Day tagged ‘Hepatitis can’t wait’ July 28 every year has been set aside by the World Health Organization as World Hepatitis Day. It is a day where millions of people around the world gather to enhance awareness of viral hepatitis and associated consequences of this disease.  Viral Hepatitis amongst other non-communicable diseases contributes significantly to the high mortality rates globally with an estimated 1.3 M deaths per year. Viral Hepatitis has 5 subtypes i.e. Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E however, it is important to note that Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are the primary causes of liver diseases and cancer, accounting for 9% of total deaths from all cancers each year. In Nigeria, no fewer than 18 million people are living with viral hepatitis with prevalence rates of 8.1% for Hepatitis B Virus and 1.1% for Hepatitis C Virus. Similarly, a study...

 LAGOS HAS ZERO-TOLERANCE FOR QUACKERY - HEFAMAA … Shuts down 18 Facilities in Two Months The Executive Secretary, Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr. Abiola Idowu, has reiterated the State Government’s zero-tolerance for quackery to safeguard the health of its citizenry. Idowu, who disclosed this on Tuesday at a sensitisation campaign organised to educate residents of Badagry division on the roles and responsibilities of HEFAMAA, added that the Agency shut down 18 health facilities in May and June 2021 for non-compliance with regulatory standards.  She stated that the facilities were sealed for various infractions ranging from quackery to lack of qualified medical personnel and non-registration, warning quacks who parade themselves as experts to desist from such practices as the State Government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has zero tolerance for quackery and unethical conduct. The Executive Secretary, represented by Dr....

July 28, 2021 Press Statement  Ondo: Supreme Court’s Split Judgment Vindicates Our Appeal- PDP The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the split judgment by the Supreme Court on the flawed nomination of Ondo state Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, shows that there is merit in its appeal against his election as governor. The party notes that the majority judgement as presented by the Supreme Court did not address the impunity in the action of the Yobe Governor, Mai Mala Buni, in functioning as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while at the same time holding office as a sitting governor, contrary to the provisions of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the constitution of the APC. The fact that three justices out of the seven-man panel upheld our position on the illegality of Akeredolu’s nomination confirms that his candidacy as cancerous and a brazen violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the constitution of the APC. It is note...

President Muhammadu Buhari joins members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in felicitating with Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State over the Supreme Court judgement, which upheld his re-election in the October 10, 2020 polls. The President urges the governor, and all elected leaders of the governing party, to always place the people first in their consideration of development programmes and projects, affirming that the popularity of the APC would continue to depend on performance and acceptance by the electorate. President Buhari extols the Ondo State governor for assiduously working for the development of the state, with reforms that continue to attract the goodwill of investors, and insistence that education, health and security take priority. The President notes that the Supreme Court Judgement, preceded by that of the Court of Appeal, further bolsters the strength and reach of the APC, and its bright chances of consolidation in coming elections. President Buhari calls on the oppos...

Baale Docked For Land Scam in Ibadan … Another Convicted of Internet Fraud   The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Command, on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, arraigned 82 years old  Chief Olagoke Samson Amoo- Onidundu who claims to be the Baale of Onidundu area of Akinyele, Oyo state before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan for alleged land fraud. The Octogenarian was docked on a four-count charge bordering obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act. The complainant alleged that he bought four acres of land from the defendant for Four Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N4, 400,000) but he was later denied access to the land by some people who claimed to be the actual owners of the land. One of the counts reads, ”That you, Chief Olagoke Samson Amoo-Onidundu on or about the 19th Augus...

The Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, reiterated the Commission’s resolve to sanitize and deal with fraud-related issues in the extractive industries. The EFCC boss stated this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the EFCC and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI led by its Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji at the Commission’s Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja. The EFCC boss promised to use the Commission’s Extractive Industry Fraud Section to deal with issues relating to the extractive industries, and to sanitize the sector. “I want to assure you that all the issues that your report will raise and all the issues that we are also seeing on our own relating to extractive industries, in oil and gas as well as in solid mineral, we will deal head-on with them.” He promised to work with NEITI in meeting the expectation of both parties for the bettermen...

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has hailed the decision of the Supreme Court which upheld his victory at the October 10, 2020 governorship election in the state.  The Supreme Court, in a majority judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, four of the seven-member panel dismissed the appeal by Eyitayo Jegede and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the grounds that it was incompetent. Governor Akeredolu hailed the court, explaining that from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court, twelve judges have ruled in his favor and three against him.  The Governor particularly thanked the Judiciary for not yielding to any influence, adding that the glory of the election petition success is to God.  He also appreciated his legal team and those of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC.  He said: "I have every reason to thank God and appreciate the judiciary for not yielding  to any influence. We can still be prou...

404 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-356 Rivers-18 FCT-7 Ekiti-5 Kaduna-5 Gombe-3 Kano-3 Edo-2 Ogun-2 Bayelsa-1 Plateau-1 Nasarawa-1 171,728 confirmed 164,837 discharged 2,134 deaths Today's report includes 0 cases from Sokoto, Oyo, Imo and Enugu States A breakdown of cases by state via http://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng. One more photo below.

  Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, was arraigned and detained at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago ahead of his trial. A partly redacted plea agreement document in the cyber fraud case against him surfaced online on Wednesday.   In the court file signed by Loius Shapiro, Hushpuppi’s lawyer, on behalf of the defendant, Hushpuppi agreed to give up the right to indictment by a grand jury and plead guilty to count two of the trial “Case No. 2:20-CR-00322-ODW.”   The referenced court case, it is understood, charges Hushpuppi with “conspiracy to engage in money laundering.” For a person to be deemed guilty of the crime, the document read, “there was an agreement between two or more persons to conduct a financial transaction involving property that represented the proceeds of wire fraud.” It also added that the defendant must have known that the funds were “proceeds of some form of unlawful activity” and the transaction was design...

Veteran musician 'Bright Chimezie's son will be to called to the Nigerian Bar tomorrow.He shared this photo with the caption ''  Today I celebrate my son, confidant, friend and Legal adviser, Barr. Chukwudi B. Chimezie   @chuks_chimezie   Esq. LLBBL as he is being sworn in as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 29th of July, 2021. Son, you dreamt, and worked and God finally crowned your efforts. Keep dreaming and the sky will definitely be your starting point. To God be the glory.   ''. At least I was called to the Nigerian Bar, from the date he posted which falls on a Thursday,the rule is you don't wear your wig before the ceremony I know his excited but he should have waited till after the ceremony. One more photo below.