An alleged disappearance of over $64 million from the vaults of the Zenith Bank has landed the multinational financial services provider in trouble. Zenith bank is rated as a large financial service provider in Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa. As at the ending of 2016, her total assets was N4.7 trillion with shareholders’ equity of N616.3 billion. She is listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. But the Managing Director of Owigs and Obigs, Emeka Okorie, has dragged the bank before the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over an alleged unethical conduct which resulted in the termination…
Author: Akanimo Sampson
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is currently standing head and shoulder above President Muhammadu Buhari on the management of elections in the country, going by the verdict of the civil society. The civil society Situation Room on Monday, berated the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) under Buhari’s watch for an alleged poor management of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections. Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and Convener of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo, while presenting their third interim statement in Abuja, declared that the election has been a step back from the 2015 general elections…
Soldiers of the Nigerian Army allegedly invaded the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, the home local government of the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, and snatched results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections. The INEC Electoral Officer of the area, Leo Okon, said soldiers invaded INEC office in Okrika and snatched results of the last Saturday polls for the area. The INEC official was speaking at the Rivers East Senatorial District Collation Centre on Monday, as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ashimom Msuguhter,…
Hajia Talatu flashed a wan smile when she described her life before Boko Haram changed everything. “When my husband was alive, life was very sweet, life was very easy. He provided everything for us,” she remembered. Her husband’s work as a truck driver was enough to support her and her eight children. That all changed two years ago, when her husband and some of the other men from their village were killed in a Boko Haram ambush on their way to the market. Soon after, insurgents raided their village, killing indiscriminately and burning the school and homes. Attacks like this made…
As President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, are battling for the political soul of Sokoto State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is likely to announce the outcome of the presidential poll today. Local sources say Atiku has won Silame and Isa Local Government Areas of Sokoto, while Buhari won Wurno. Results of the three councils were declared at the presidential election collation centre on Sunday night. In Silame, Atiku polled 13, 949 votes and Buhari scored 10, 910 out of 25,875 votes cast during…
A Rael-Science post on Google indicates that neuroscientists have for the first time discovered differences between the ‘software’ of humans and monkey brains, using a technique that tracks single neurons. They found that human brains trade off ‘robustness’ — a measure of how synchronized neuron signals are — for greater efficiency in information processing. The researchers hypothesize that the results might help to explain humans’ unique intelligence, as well as their susceptibility to psychiatric disorders. The findings were published in Cell1 on 17 January. Scientists say that this type of unusual study could help them to better translate research in animal models of psychiatric…
India has made history by swearing in her first robotic police officer, which is named KP-Bot, a Rael-Science post on Google says. This is coming as Dubai will on Wednesday, May 24, launch a new police robot that will mark the first phase of the integration of robots into the police force. This modified version of the REEM robot (Designed by PAL robotics and unveiled in 2011) is capable of feeding video to a command center, forwarding reported crimes to police, settling fines, facial recognition, and speaking nine languages. It will operate at most malls and tourist attractions. Dubai is hoping that robots will constitute 25 percent of…
A new Rael-Science post has it that China’s Academy of Space Technology is working on an orbital power plant that would capture solar energy in space and beam it back to Earth. The plant would be able to harness solar power even when it’s cloudy back on Earth, since its photovoltaic array would be floating high above any terrestrial weather. With plans to launch a test facility before 2025, pursuing space-based clean energy shows that China is committed to its ongoing push towards using more renewable energy and asserting its place among global leaders in space. Needless to say, the biggest…
The activities of soldiers and the seeming political army of President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) deployed for election duties in Rivers State are not going down well with the citizenry. Soldiers are said to have occupied the homes of some leading chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and allegedly denying voters unfettered access to their polling units. Though this charge could not be immediately confirmed from the authorities, some concerned insiders say there are party functionaries masking as security personnel in the state. Worried women in the big oil state were busy, before today’s Presidential and National…
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Nigeria’s National Peace Committee (NPC) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to directly hold President Muhammadu Buhari responsible for any break down of law and order in the country as Nigerians, according to the party, will never allow him to rig this Saturday’s elections. PDP Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, announced to the peace panel and the international community that the re-election seeking President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) have declared and commenced a war on them. The party says President Buhari has unleashed the state security apparatus of the…
Not all damaged cells die, a Rael-Science post says. Some stick around as senescent cells, unable to divide but still able to produce chemical signals — and they could play a major role in the battle against aging. “It is thought that these cells and the substances they produce are involved in the process of aging,” longevity researcher Nicolas Musi from the University of Texas at Austin told MIT Technology Review. “The idea is that removing these cells may be beneficial to promote healthy aging and also to prevent diseases of aging.” Based on the results of a very early trial, there may be something to that theory.…
Rivers State, a big oil state that is hosting the oil and gas capital of Nigeria, was on the boil before the Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections. The power tussle between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not helping matters in the state. One of the contending parties appears to be quite desperate in foisting their hold on the state. That seeming desperate bid does not appear to be going down well with some major stakeholders. The riverine Ijaw communities called on the international community to hold the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled elections in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State due to outbreak of violence. The news came Aminu Iliyasu, a Colonel and Spokesman of Nigerian Army 6 Division, Port Harcourt, confirmed that soldiers were drafted to trouble spots in the state on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that two persons were feared dead at Ogu in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area while shootings were heard in Abonema town in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of the state. Iliyasu said, ‘’we are hearing that there are some skirmishes but we have not yet…
Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian organisation that is dedicated to helping people facing toughest challenges survive, and move toward a stronger, more resilient future, says hate speech is a pervasive problem in Nigeria that is flaring cultural and political tensions among the country’s more than 300 ethnic groups. According to the group, as hate speech spreads online, it inflames ethnic rivalries and heightens instability in a country that ranks 157th out of 180 on the Human Development Index. For the group’s Communications and Reporting Specialist for Nigeria, Faye Mooney, ‘’hate speech in Nigeria is a complex problem with no easy answers. The…
Like so many in Yemen, Wassim has endured extreme challenges in trying to meet his basic human needs. The father of four young children, he has traveled long distances in hope of finding work as a day laborer, though work wasn’t always guaranteed. Famine and malnutrition are always a looming threat, with extreme food shortages driving up costs and making it harder for people to scrape together proper meals. Many families in Yemen are desperate, rationing out what little food is available. “I used to go to Aden city and try to find a job for weeks,” he says. “It…
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, has taken on the factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, over his alleged ‘’misrepresentation, lies and innuendos’’ on the purported compromise of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Oshiomhole and the APC have been accusing officials of the electoral agency of compromising and colluding with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The obviously piqued Igini said he had never stepped into the home of any resident of Akwa Ibom and so could not have held private meetings with people that he does not know. According…
Chairman of the Strategic Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osita Chidoka, has called on the electorate to massively vote for his party candidates on Saturday, with the goal of reclaiming the country from anti-democratic tendencies. Chidoka who is also the PDP campaign spokesperson said in Abuja that his party recognises the undue financial burden placed on the electorate by the delay, adding, ‘’we have a deep appreciation for all those who are doing their part to ease costs and help facilitate travel nation-wide.’’ The rest of his testimony goes thus: ‘’We also recognise and deeply appreciate the commitment to…
Prominent Islamic scholar and leader of the Darikatul Tijjaniya Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, has urged the people of Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency in Bauchi state to vote for the Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara in Saturday’s National Assembly elections. Speaking in Bauchi when the Speaker paid him a visit at the his residence, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi called on the people of Bauchi state to reject politicians who use religion to divide them. He said Dogara’s track records of religious tolerance, peace building and worthy representation speak for themselves and he should be encouraged to do…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has declared that the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has planned the arrest of 10 local government council chairmen in the state in a bid to scuttle the elections in the state. Addressing journalists on Thursday, Governor Wike said that the intention of the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army is to generate insecurity and violence through undue provocation of the people. Governor Wike added that the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army has also pencilled down 182 persons who will be arrested across…
Rivers State, a big oil and gas state in the Niger Delta and a major stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, is currently a hot battle ground for President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) and their politically inspired armed security forces. The unyielding PDP in Abua/Odual, Ahoada-East, Ahoada-West and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of state have expressed serious concern about an alleged plan by the APC to cause havoc and rig the general elections. Leaders of the PDP in Orashi region claimed in a press briefing on Thursday that APC was working with their military wing to…
The sacked factional State Chairman of the Rivers State wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ojukaye Flag Amachree, has again evaded his murder trial which came up in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday. As a result, the authorities have resolved to interface with the Inspector General of Police and the state Police Commissioner to produce the suspect in court this coming March 18, to face trial. Counsel to the state, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) said the interface has become necessary because of the alleged refusal of the APC chief to willingly appear in court. According to Obla, the state prosecution…
Apparently rattled by the seeming weighty allegation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is plotting to violently subvert elections in the state, APC says they are not planning such. But Ambassador Desmond Akawor, the Director-General of the PDP Campaign Council in the state had alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC was plotting to violently prevent the general elections from holding in the big oil state. Akawor who was spoke in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said last January 23, some leaders of the APC addressed a world press conference wherein they…
A humanitarian group, Mercy Corps that has been operating in Nigeria since 2012, has brought out to public knowledge how one particular woman, Jummai, is ending her Boko Haram nightmare. The group which is dedicated to helping people facing the toughest challenges survive, and move toward a stronger, more resilient future has tackling such challenges over the last 39 years. In total, they have provided $4.00 billion in lifesaving assistance to more than 220 million people. That, according to the group, has given them a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing the most vulnerable communities, and the approaches required to overcome…
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cried out against dragging the military into partisan politics by the President Muhammadu Buhari All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, claiming that by so doing Buhari has suspended the country’s Constitution and assumed the position of an emperor. ‘’It is imperative to state that by trying to drag the military to participate in the February 23 Presidential elections, President Buhari plots to suspend our constitution, assume the position of an emperor, trigger unrest, subvert our electoral process and derail our democracy’’, PDP said and accordingly cautioned the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur…
The Nigerian Breweries Plc, the pioneer and largest brewing company in the country that serves the Nigerian market and exports to other parts of West Africa, has attributed her 41 per cent drop posted in profit after tax for the financial year ending last December, to increased excise duty rates. Company Secretary/ Legal Director , Uaboi Agbebaku, said in a statement in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, that increased excise duty that came into effect during the year under review adversely affected their audited result. According to him, ‘’the 2018 results were adversely impacted by the increased excise duty rates that came…
Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu, has questioned the moral integrity of the factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on hitting at the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, and for pushing for the resignation. The drama was playing out at the top level of the ruling party as the leadership of the Third Force Movement under the umbrella of Nigeria Intervention Movement insisted on their endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for this Saturday’s poll. The movement’s Director of Media and Publicity, Debo Adeniyi, said the decision of…
Contrary to some popular claims that the Igbo people of Nigeria migrated from Israel, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has debunked such claims, stressing instead that the Jews actually left Igbo land for their current location in Ethiopia, Israel and around the world. The Ooni who is also a Co-chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, seriously frowned at the notion Ndigbo have been holding that they migrated from Israel. The monarch who was speaking during the Aje festival at his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State, pointed out that the role played by Ndigbo of the present day Eastern Nigeria in…
A hidden presidential ambition of Nigeria’s Transportation Minister and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, is tearing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state apart the more, and a huge threat to peace and security. Amaechi’s presidential ambition allegedly started in 2014 when he was hoping to run with President Muhammadu Buhari as his running mate, aiming to step into Buhari’s shoes in either 2019 or 2023. But, when Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was announced as vice presidential candidate of the APC, Amaechi, allegedly went into shock and a doctor had to be brought in to treat him. The…
Except there is a quick fix by the authorities, this Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections might suffer a very serious setback again. Aggrieved members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently being engaged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of this year’s elections are threatening a big showdown with the electoral agency over an alleged neglect and maltreatment. They are already calling on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to warn INEC never to invite them again on any of electoral assignment. ‘’Do it yourself and let’s see if you will subject yourself to such…
Ambassador Desmond Akawor, the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in Rivers State has alerted Nigerians and the international community of an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to violently prevent the general elections from holding in the state. Akawor who was speaking in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said last January 23, some leaders of the APC addressed a world press conference wherein they issued a direct and specific public threat to the effect that: …there will be no National Assembly, Governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Rivers until all the cases…
