PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 GOV. ALIA GRANTS SCHOLARSHIP TO BENUE CONTINGENT TO INDONESIA  Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has granted scholarship to four pupils of public schools who were part of the team that represented Nigeria in Jakarta, Indonesia, and came top in a Bilateral Debate competition. Governor Alia who received the victorious representatives at the Government House Makurdi on Monday expressed joy at the performances of the students, saying, it is the beginning of a turn around for the hitherto abandoned public schools in the State. The four students from Benue State: Ruth Suurshater, Sonia Aduba, Ogenyi Favour, and Samuel Ochara were part of the team that represented the country at the Bilateral International Debate competition organized for basic education learners under the auspices of the President, and School Debate Nigeria. Beaming with happiness, Governor Alia said, “I will not lament about paucity of fund especially on issues of education and development. Let ...

 Actors Guild of Nigeria Bans ‘unnecessary’ picture, video recording at Junior Pope’s funeral The Actors Guild of Nigeria has said it would not allow what it described as unnecessary picture and video recording at the burial of late actor, Junior Pope, who died in a boat accident on April 10. It said all journalists and bloggers must be accredited by the deceased’s family. The guild’s President, Emeka Rollas, made the announcement on Instagram on Tuesday, stating that 30 representatives from five states – Delta, Imo, Abia, Anambra, and Enugu – have been picked to attend the ceremony. The representatives will be provided with official T-shirts and transportation. Rollas emphasized that only official photographers will be allowed to take pictures and videos during the proceedings, and all press and bloggers must be accredited by the family. He wrote, “In preparation for the burial of our departed colleague, Jnr Pope, we have appointed 30 representatives each from these five state cha...

 Jr Pope: Anambra Assembly orders compulsory use of life jackets on waterways The Anambra House of Assembly, on Tuesday, passed a motion making compulsory the use of life jackets on waterways in the state. This followed a motion moved at plenary, on Tuesday, under Matters of Urgent Public Importance by Mr Ikenna Ofodeme, member representing Ekwusigo constituency and Majority Leader. Ofodeme, while making his submission, said that many lives had been lost as a result of accidents on waterways due to passengers and operators of boats not using life jackets. He said that the absence of regulations compelling use of life jackets posed a significant risk to the lives of passengers and operators of transportation on waterways “Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that the protection of life and property remain the primary purpose of government. “The safety of citizens utilising water transportation is of paramount importance too. “Therefore, adequate provisions and dist...

 ‘I was the highest beneficiary of incorruptible judiciary’ – Peter Obi The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, said he was the highest beneficiary of the judiciary in the country when there were incorruptible judges. Obi stated this during Justice Anthony Aniagolu’s Memorial Lecture, organised by the family and hosted by Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, on Tuesday. Delivering a lecture on the topic “The Judiciary and the Future of Nigeria,” Obi said he won the election in Anambra State while another candidate was declared the winner and he approached the court for justice. “I spent three years in court and it was given to me, and after a few months, I was impeached but the judiciary restored me to power. After one year in office, they conducted another election and elected another person. “But I went to the Supreme Court, where judges, with respect for the rule of law, reinstated me to complete my tenure. “All these things happene...

 PRESS RELEASE  EDO STATE POLICE COMMAND HANDS OVER CHILD IN VIRAL INAPPROPRIATE CONTENTS TO EDO GBV COMMISSIONER  Following the disturbing incident involving the viral dissemination of inappropriate pictures depicting a 4-year-old girl under the Instagram handle @officialsarah_ig, the Edo State Police Command has taken swift action to address this matter. On Sunday, May 12, 2024, public outrage erupted as a result of these images, leading to the identification and subsequent arrest of Musa Suleiman, a 27-year-old resident of Edo State, believed to be linked to the incident. The preliminary investigation further revealed that Musa Suleiman is the father of the young child known as Sarah. In response to the urgent need for protection and care of the child involved, the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Police Command, CP Funsho Adegboye, mni, oversaw a handover on May 13, 2024, at approximately 3:00 PM in his office at the State Headquarters in Benin City. Baby Sarah was e...

 PRESS RELEASE FIGHT AGAINST OIL THEFT: IGP MEETS IPMAN LEADERSHIP, DISCUSSES AREAS OF PARTNERSHIP The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, on Tuesday 14th May, 2024, held a productive meeting at the Force Headquarters with the leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). The meeting had in attendance members of the Force Management Team, and key Executives from IPMAN, led by the National President, Alhaji Abubakar Migandi Garima. During the meeting, the Police and IPMAN leadership discussed several critical areas of partnership on the efforts of the Federal Government in combatting oil theft. The IGP noted that the meeting was aimed at enhancing security and operational efficiency within the petroleum sector, acknowledging the importance of collaboration in addressing the unique security challenges faced by petroleum marketers, especially in safeguarding critical infrastructure and ensuring the safe transportati...

 EFCC Arraigns Two for N12.9m Fraud in Maiduguri The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 13, 2024, arraigned Babakura Muhammad Nur and Kaltum Mustapha for criminal misappropriation to the tune of N12,950,000( Twelve Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) The duos were arraigned separately before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court on one -count charge for criminal misappropriation and cheating. The count against Nur reads: “That you Baba Kura Muhammad Nur, on or about September, 2021 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly misappropriated and converted for your own use the sum of N11, 600,000.00 (Eleven Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) being payment for foodstuffs belonging to Alhaji Usman Mohammed and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Laws Borno State (Cap 102Vol. 3 of 1994...