EBONY9JA MEDIA

This is good news. According to a report by TheCable, a small basket of tomato, which sold for N25,000 in May, is now going for N800 in Kaduna. This is coming after the price of tomatoes hit the roof across the country as a result of scarcity caused by tuta absoluta, also known as “tomato ebola”. This affected the crop in most parts of the north-west, notably Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina and Kano states. As a result, the basket prices jumped from the range of N800-N1200 to between N25,000 and N40,000 at the height of the crisis. At the Line Dogo (Rail Line) tomatoes and vegetable market in Kaduna on Saturday, it was a beehive of activities. Abass Mai Tumatur, chairman of the tomato sellers, told TheCable it was a “pleasant relief” for everyone as tomato is now available and in large quantities.

Some armed men, suspected to be militants, have blown up crude oil export trunk line belonging to Shell in Delta State. The affected trunk line, Trans Ramos belong to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) which is located close to Odimodi community in Delta State, was attacked on Sunday. A resident, Endoro New-World, who confirmed the development to Vanguard, said, “The incident occurred at about 1.00 am with the velocity of the blast shaking apartments in the community amidst a huge ball of fire “At sunrise, a group from the community in company of the SPDC surveillance team was able to locate the site of the blast.”

A coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate Justice NFN Ntong of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Ikot Ekpene Judicial Division, for abuse of powers in a case involving the Akwa Ibom State government. In a petition to the council and signed by the coalition’s national chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, CSNAC Justice Ntong deserved punishment for his action. The petition read: “The Akwa Ibom State Government through the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko, Esq., recently filed an ex-parte motion (application) at the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Ikot Ekpene Judicial Division, presided over by Hon. Justice NFN Ntong, to sought and obtained inter alia, an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government or any of its agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Co...

The Kaduna State Government on Sunday released the full report of the outcome of a judicial panel of inquiry it set up to unravel the circumstances surrounding the massacre of 347 Shi’ites in Zaria, almost two weeks after this newspaper published details of the chilling massacre. The Governor of the state, Nasir el-Rufai, said he made the document public even though a white paper enquiry was still underway. “A nine-member White Paper Drafting Committee has commenced work on studying the report and its recommendations. While the White Paper process is ongoing, the Kaduna State Government has decided to release the report on its website,” the state said in an accompany statement. Mr. El-Rufai had in January set up the panel, chaired by Mohammed Garba, an appellate court judge, to investigate the killings, which sparked worldwide outrage. The panel submitted its findings on July 15. Mr. El-Rufai’s decision to make the report public marked a sharp contrast with his stat...

The Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, on Sunday faced calls from civil society groups for him to step aside amidst criminal investigation into the unfolding budget padding scandal. One of the calls was contained in an open letter written to Mr. Dogara by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, a transparency and accountability think-tank, calling on him and other House principal officers named in the scandal to recuse themselves from office pending the outcome of investigation. Mr. Dogara, his deputy, Yusuf Lasun, House Whip, Alhassan Doguwa, and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, have faced criticism for allegedly padding the 2016 Appropriation Bill with up to N40 billion earmarked for themselves. Details and documents relating to the alleged fraud were thrown into the public space by Abdulmumin Jibrin, a lawmaker from Kano State who ceased being the chairman of House Committee amidst disputed circumstances on allegations that he committed serial betrayal of tru...

The gas explosion which occurred on Sunday in Obotim Nsit village, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, left shocked villagers with various degrees of injuries. But by Tuesday, two days after the incident, the victims were yet to receive medical attention. The community only received drinks and cash worth fifty-one thousand five hundred naira (one hundred and sixty-three dollars only). No help came from the local or state governments, or Seven Energy International Ltd, owner of the destroyed pipeline, a PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter who visited the community confirmed. On Tuesday, the company’s representatives merely presented two cartons of Malta Guinness malt drink, two cartons of Star beer, and a gin to the community. The drinks are worth N6, 500 (about $18). The village head, Okon Ukpong, confirmed that the community had not received anything before Tuesday. Seven Energy’s representatives declined to speak to the PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter who met with ...

In his native Niger State, David Umaru, the All Progressives Congress senator representing Niger East Senatorial District is something of a folk hero. He was a thorn under the skin of the immediate past administration of Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu . He was an unwavering critic and soon gained the reputation of a whistleblower after be published series of advertorials in national newspapers exposing alleged corrupt practices by the Mu’azu Babangida administration. But one aspect of his life Mr Umaru would hesitate to see on the pages of newspapers is his dealings in notorious offshore tax havens and his role in laundering money for the country’s most notorious dictator ever, Sani Abacha. Documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES from the leaked database of now infamous Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, revealed that Mr Umaru incorporated two shell companies in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a notorious offshore tax haven, and in tiny South Pacific Ocean country...

The Federal Government has banned the procurement and distribution of bags, T-shirts and other souvenirs at events such as Conferences and Seminars funded by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). In a statement on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Salisu Dambatta, said President Buhari had approved the ban following recommendations by the Efficiency Unit. It said the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, forwarded the directive to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Ministers of Finance and Budget and National Planning, for implementation. According to the statement, the ban was in continuation of the on-going cost-cutting and efficiency drive in the utilisation of public funds by the present administration. President Buhari had set up the Efficiency Unit to review all federal government’s overhead expenditure to reduce wastage, promo...

The authorities of the Nigeria Police Force have removed the contacts of some key officers from the organization’s official websites, www.npf.gov.ng , EBONYNAIJA can authoritatively report today. Checks by this newspaper showed that the telephone numbers and electronic mail addresses of some of the officials had been taken off the site, leaving just a few. Shortly after his appointment in January 2012, former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, created the website, making it the most public-friendly online platform in the force’s history. The force under Mr. Abubakar listed the telephone numbers and email addresses of its senior officials in the website, including the inspector general’s number. On the platform were two telephone numbers — 0810255558 and 08077446699 – on which Mr. Abubakar could be reached directly by SMS, by members of the public making complaints or seeking urgent police action. Others, whose contacts were provided on the site, were th...

Troops conducted raids at Gamboru town early Sunday, July 31 following a tip off. The troops recovered 3 AK-56 rifles and 2 AK-L rifles with registration numbers; AK-L-AGB 1172, AK-L PU2879, AK-56-2556688, AK-56-22622832 and AK-56-22622315, respectively. They also recovered 235 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and 7 AK-56 rifle magazines. Read more: https://www.naij.com/910644-army-raids-town-see-found-photo.html Troops conducted raids at Gamboru town early Sunday, July 31 following a tip off. The troops recovered 3 AK-56 rifles and 2 AK-L rifles with registration numbers; AK-L-AGB 1172, AK-L PU2879, AK-56-2556688, AK-56-22622832 and AK-56-22622315, respectively. They also recovered 235 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and 7 AK-56 rifle magazines. Read more: https://www.naij.com/910644-army-raids-town-see-found-photo.html Troops conducted raids at Gamboru town early Sunday, July 31 following a tip off. The troops recovered 3 AK-56 rifles and 2 AK-L rifles...

Former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi has asserted that the failure of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to deliver on its campaign promises to Nigerians is an indication that the party came into power by “accident.” Dokpesi , a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairmanship hopeful, made the remark while addressing party delegates at the party’s state secretariat in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. According to him, the ruling party has demonstrated that it lacks the capacity and experience to lead Nigeria. Dokpesi said, “The APC has shown they came to power by accident with no clear plan on how to govern the country. They lack the required capacities and experiences to lead Nigeria. “Those that said they have better ideas than the PDP have left the country in hunger. They have divided the country and failed to deliver on their electoral promises. The cost of kerosene, diesel, tomatoes, garri, rice and others are at all-t...

John Mikel Obi has donated  $30,000 to the Nigeria Olympic group in Atlanta. A member of TeamNigeria disclosed this today. The source who wanted to remain anonymous stated; “Mikel has given $30,000 to the team. You know we have not gotten cash since we left Nigeria.” John Mikel Obi is the team captain of the 85-man Nigerian contingent at the Rio Olympics.

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has advised people living in flood-prone areas to relocate to avoid natural disasters. NIHSA’s Director-General Mr Moses Beckley, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja, said residing in flood-prone areas was unsafe. “The states that are around the hydrological basins, artificial lakes and large reservoirs should make sure that they do not look for the trouble of the rivers by going too close to them. “An artificial lake like the Jabi Lake, you can imagine for example, the purposes and the benefits of that lake right now. “First and foremost, it is recharging the ground water system which will now make it easier for those in that environment to be able to reach the ground water level to attract water. “The other purpose is that, as it’s there you can use it for fishery purposes and also for irrigation and this won’t cost much, compare to dam construction. “However, where...

Most fortunes are made online these days, predominantly in the fields of apps and games development and social media. Whilst everyone is not in the league – or have the resources – to develop the next Pokemon Go! Or Call of Duty games simple games have been developed by individuals that have gone on to be worldwide successes such as Angry Birds. A look around the Google or iTunes stores will show how many of these individual-created games are growing in popularity.  Without a doubt to create a game you will need coding skills. These can either be learnt online, in colleges or if you’re unsure of yourself you can farm it out to the professionals. Coding skills or not you still need a blueprint for how your game will work. To do this requires the old-fashion technique of writing things down on a piece of paper. Your scribbling without any doubt will be about what the game is all about, how it’s played and the rules and regulations. Once done comes the task of transla...

A Civil society group in Rivers State, the Alliance for Transparency and Good Governance has commended the National Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for postponing the Rivers re-run election originally scheduled for July 30, 2016 due to overwhelming insecurity in the state. Speaking to newsmen at Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwa on arrival from Lagos, the coordinator of the group, Hon. Erasmus Obele Nwankpa expressed worry that the state has continued to experience unprecedented cult-related security problems in the past one year. Mr. Erasmus Nwankpa wondered why Governor Wike will grant amnesty to known cult killers and armed robbers who were caught with arms just because he wants to use them again for the re-run election. The Alliance for Transparency and Good Governance advised the Rivers State Governor not to play with the lives of the entire people of Rivers State for his political ambition and interest, stressing that afteral...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) of appropriating the  Abuja -Kaduna standard gauge rail line project, which was conceptualised, awarded and constructed by past PDP administrations. In a statement by Dayo Adeyeye , its spokesman, the party said that the rail project launched by Buhari on Tuesday was “conceptualised by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, and successive PDP administrations of President Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan commenced work and built the project to 99 percent completion”. “The only work done by President Muhammadu Buhari on the project was yesterday’s commissioning,” read the statement. “The truth, which history will bear out, is that the PDP in its 16 years of rule successfully completed numerous projects that substantively changed the infrastructural landscape of Nigeria. “Every one of those 16 years ...

The Nigerian Army have announced the launch of tactical drills in Enugu State starting from this weekend. The drill, code-named ‘Exercise Crocodile Smile’, is aimed at equipping the Amphibious and Internal Security Operations in riverine communities against the activities of Niger Delta militants. The announcement, which was made on the Army’s Facebook Page yesterday, is coming on the heels of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai’s warning that the military would resort to force if the militants failed to embrace Federal Government’s peace talk. Recall that Buratai, speaking through the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu, Ibrahim Atahiru, said the government was still committed to dialogue but could resort to the use of “Kinetic” force if dialogue failed. He said, “Government is still committed to dialogue and whereby this cannot go on, then, there could be resort to other means. The non-kinetic (force) means has always been th...

A former chairman of Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin , who has accused the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, of substantial fraud, has given reasons why he had to wait till now to speak out. Mr. Jibrin started releasing details of alleged budget fraud involving Mr. Dogara and three other principal officers, Lasun Yusuf, Alhassan Doguwa and Leo Ogor, last week. It came after he was removed as chairman of the appropriation committee. “For those who keep saying why now, (they) should realize that for every situation like this to occur, there must be a trigger however it looks!” Mr. Jibrin said on Thursday. “I woke up mid night yesterday to pray and suddenly realized I have become an accidental activist. This is noble and there is no going back! “I am a product of the establishment but something in me has never been comfortable. I’m so glad that by September 9th my 40th birthday everybody would have known where I stand for the rest of m...

Niger State government has informed the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government of large quantity of crude oil in the Bida Basin awaiting exploration. In a statement by Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, the government said the immediate past state government, through a committee it set up, had confirmed the availability of large quantity of crude oil in the Bida Basin. The statement read: "The search for crude oil will not be complete in the north until Bida Basin, which has a lot of potential, is included because there had been several intensification of crude oil search with re-invigorated exploration based on fresh strategy." The Commissioner said if the Bida Basin could be included in the renewed search for hydrocarbon deposits and it would be a giant step that can step up the economic potential not only for the state but for the country as a whole. It would be recalled that the Group Managing Director of...

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, on Thursday, told President Muhammadu Buhari that members of the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) were within his government. The President of IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who briefed the press at the Headquarters of the council in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, also lamented constant linkage of avengers and criminals in Lagos State to Ijaw people. Eradiri advised President Buhari to begin the search for avengers within his government insisting that members of the militant group were in Aso Rock villa. He wondered why the military was laying siege in Gbaramatu Kingdom for members of NDA whom he said were not in the community. He said: “Why are they always quick to attack our communities. Gbaramatu is not the headquarters of avengers. It does not habour any avenger. Do you think that the community people are happy that they are under siege and cannot go about their normal duties? “The ...

I have read the statement put out by Comrade James Oche on behalf of the distinguished Senator Mark pertaining to my question about his legislative activities with respect to the Agatu issue and I failed to find any answer in the entire gamut of it. It is obvious to me that he didn't understand the full import of my question before putting pen to paper. For the record, I never questioned Senator David Mark personal love for Agatu. I know he does. Nor did I question David Mark personal generosity to the Agatu. I know he was very generous for after all in the aftermath of the attack he showered the victims who had then become IDPs with materials to ease their pain. It is also a credit to him that he visited Agatu at a risk of his life. He was even said to have been shot at. I thank him for his personal generosity. I’m proud of him for that. It is the same way I’m proud of the generosity of the many Idoma sons and daughters who contributed personally to the IDPs. But...