HelloSamson's Blog

Akpabio said the PDP caucus staged a walk-out during the confirmation of a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, and 17 others because they did not want to participate in illegality Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday said they never supported emergence of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki. They said the luck Saraki had was that he was returned unopposed as Senate president. The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, made this known on Thursday. Akpabio said the PDP caucus staged a walk-out during the confirmation of a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, and 17 others because they did not want to participate in illegality. He added that the PDP senators decided not to participate i‎n what he described as a “charade confirmation” because they have responsibilities to Nigerians. According to him: “We never supported Saraki during the election because he was returned unopposed. “We...

Bank customers that are unable to obtain their bank verification numbers (BVNs) before the close of business this Friday would not be able to operate such accounts as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ruled out another extension of the deadline, which expires this Friday. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee had introduced the BVN on February 14, 2014. The initiative was aimed at ensuring unique identity for all bank customers and other users of financial services in the country by the use of the customers’ biometrics as means of identification. At the expiration of the initial estimated 18 months after the launch, a good number of bank customers were reluctant in registering, which led to commotion and stampede in banking halls across the country towards the end of the previous deadline. That confusion necessitated the call for the extension of the registration dateline by four months to October 31. Data from the Nigeria Int...

It was standing ovation as a new speaker was be voted to lead the American congress after the speech of the outgoing speaker John Boehner finished with his last speech as leader of the house.

The Senate has approved nomination of Ocholi Enojo James, Baba Shehuri Mustapha Cladius Omoleye Daramola, Heineken Lokpobiri , Khadija Abba Ibrahim, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Zainab S. Ahmed, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama,dewole Folorunso,Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali,Pastor Usani Uguru,Prof. Anwuka Anthony Gozie, Adamu Adamu, Mohammed Musa Bell, helloSamson will keep you posted as the approvals continue.

Senator Pwajok who represented the Plateau North Senatorial zone in the 7th Assembly and was succeeded by the incumbent, Senator Jonah Jang contested the last gubernatorial election but lost to the incumbent Governor, Simon Lalong of the All Progressives Congress, APC. GNS, as the late Senator was fondly called was said to have died on Wednesday night in an Indian hospital at the age of 48 after a protracted liver disease. He took ill sometime in May this year, was not really seen in the public shortly after the general elections and was not able to join his colleagues in the valedictory session of the 7th Assembly. Though there is no official report about his demise but friends of his family have confirmed the incident adding that arrangements are on to return his remains to the country. However, condolences are being expressed on social media and citizens of the State are discussing the situation in hush tones.

A DECISION by Nigerian authorities to impose a fine on MTN Group Ltd. of more than 20 percent of its market value risks foreign investment in an economy struggling to cope with sliding oil prices, currency restrictions and no finance minister. “The brazenness of Nigerian authorities to levy such a penalty is attracting attention,” Gareth Brickman, an Africa analyst at ETM Analytics NA LLC in Stamford, Connecticut, said in an e-mailed note to clients on Wednesday. “Investor perceptions of Nigeria have been strained to say the least by policy makers’ management of the naira and the new administrations’ lack of progress on economic reform.” Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator this week fined Johannesburg-based MTN, Africa’s biggest mobile-phone operator, $5.2 billion for failing to disconnect customers with unregistered SIM cards and having incomplete data, causing the shares to post their biggest three-day plunge in Johannesburg since 2008.  Nigeria is MTN’s big...

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on Thursday said it would give N2.25trillion ($10billion) concessional lines of credit to Nigeria and 53 other African nations in the next five years to boost their economy. He also said additional grant assistance of N135billion ($600m) will be made available to African countries by India. Modi, who made the disclosures in an address at the opening of the Plenary Session of the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi, said the credit lines are necessary because Africa is now joining the global mainstream of innovation. He said it was time for India and Africa to take their destinies in their hands and stop living in the shadows of colonialism. He said: “From connecting lives to collaborating for our prosperity, from keeping our people safe to advancing our global interests, the agenda of our partnership stretches across the vast territory of our linked aspirations. “To add strength to our partnership, India will offer conces...

                                              Ooni elect been cheered as he arrived Ife today  Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni-elect today arrived Ile-Ife amidst cheers and celebrations, to begin the coronation rites of ascension to the throne. Economic activities came to a halt, as the streets were lined up with school children, market women, motorcycle riders and other residents of the town, who came out to welcome and catch a glimpse of the new king. After taking time to acknowledge the cheers from the crowd, the  Ooni-elect  proceeded to the residence of the Obalufe to pay homage before proceeding to his compound of the Giesi Ruling House where he is to be installed as Sooko. The Ooni-elect cannot legitimately ascend the throne unless he was first initiated into the cult of the Sookos, since he had not previously been a member. Se...

The home town of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Otuoke, in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa, has been cut off by heavy flooding. The most plied road to Otuoke in Ogbia town , is completely submerged with water, from rain-induced flooding. Regular vehicles and motorcycles have found it impossible to ply the road, as only heavy duty haulage trucks could manage to pass through the flooded road. Vanguard reports that the road which links Azikoro-Agbura-Onuebum-Otuoke is the shortest route to Ogbia town. The reports further states that motorists are now compelled to go through the Elebele-Emeyal flank, to access Jonathan’s town.

                                                                                Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II The emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has stripped the eldest son of the late Emir Ado Bayero, Lamido Bayero, of his traditional title of Ciroman Kano and District Head of Gwale. Sources in the know say that the Emir's action may be as a result of been angered by Mr. Bayero, whom the Emir wrote to, to return to his duty as Ciroman Kano and District Head of Gwale. Mr. Bayero allegedly refused to reply the letter or report to the palace, infuriating the Emir. The issue however died after Mr. Bayero was appointed managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, under the President Goodluck Jonathan. Mr. Bayero was recently relieved of his duty and the emir directed the Emira...

Three more people in Guinea have been infected with the Ebola virus, a senior health official said on Thursday, further dampening hopes of an imminent end to the world’s worst recorded outbreak of the disease. Fode Sylla, spokesman for the national centre for the fight against Ebola, made this known to newsmen in Conakry. “The three were infected in Forecariah in Western Guinea from the family of a woman who died of Ebola and whose body was handled without appropriate protection. “In all, nine sick people are being treated at our centres throughout the country and most of them are connected to the dead woman,” Sylla said. He added that the authorities had known of the three fresh cases since Saturday. The epidemic began when a 2-year-old boy fell ill in a remote Guinean village on December 26, 2013, and risked dragging into a third year and into 2016. According to UN, WHO figures, it has killed around 11,300 people out of around 28,500 known cases in Gui...

The Nigerian army has released a collage showing the faces of 100 Boko Haram members declared wanted. The Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai displayed the collage at a ceremony in Maiduguri, Borno on Wednesday October 28th. He appealed to the public to come forward with any useful information that will lead to the arrested of the wanted sect members. Information about the “wanted suspects,” according to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, could be delivered by calling three telephone numbers:  0818155888, 08160030300 and 07053333123 to the military. Of the 100 photos of the suspects launched by the military, most of them are teenagers, with only three above the age of 70 years. Buratai however noted that all the informants’ sources and identities will be kept very confidential, as rewards for information about the suspects will be provided by the military.

A Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Bashir Albasu, has called for synergy between the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) in the on-going counter insurgency operation. He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 2nd Edition of the Nigeria Security Exhibition and Conference on Thursday in Abuja. Albasu, who is also the Katukan Kano and District Head of Albasu, observed that the Nigeria Police was working on parallel lines with intelligence gathering agencies in the country. According to him, intelligence gathering and information sharing among security agencies are critical to ensuring national security and combating insurgency. “ We cannot defeat terrorism or insurgency without absolute cooperation between the security agencies in charge of intelligence gathering such as the Police and the DSS. “I remember many years ago when I was a Commissioner of Police, my office and the office of ...

This week  High50 's midlife dating columnist hopes her Muddy Farmer will finally make a move on her, and realizes she might have to take matters into her own hands So, Muddy Farmer and I have known each other for three months, and been seeing each other every week for two. My nether regions are neat and tidy at all times just in case. But my horny-handed son of the soil does not seem horny in any other respect. We meet up at my favorite local pub. Low beams, lovely food, classic and cosy. It is his birthday and I have bought him a photography book with a hare on the front cover. He loves hares. He has, unexpectedly, bought me a hare keyring. Gifts coming out of the blue creates a warm glow. The lunch is delicious, the atmosphere romantic and we leave at sunset. OK, so I smack my head on a low beam and a bump the size of an egg is developing, but everything feels right for piling back to my fluffy White Company covered bed. Then bloody hell ... a chaste kiss on the cheek a...

By Henry Umoru/ Joseph Erunke ABUJA- AHEAD of today’s confirmation of screened Ministerial nominees by the Senators, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senators are at the moment holding a crucial meeting. The meeting as gathered is for the lawmakers to take a position on former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi as they have vowed to work against his confirmation. Senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC are also holding last minute meeting aimed at coming up with ways they would puncture opposition from the PDP senators. The APC lawmakers are maintaining a position of ensuring that Amaechi was confirmed a minister, but the PDP Senators are saying no to that position until the report of Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions was considered. Details later.

Breast cancer survivors Ros Pike, Sue Stokes, Jacky Robertson and Tina Robinson were snapped by photographer Julia Holland who met them through her charity Keeping Abreast. Jacky, 60, from Stonehouse, Gloucs, had a gruelling course of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a mastectomy. She said: “You don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” I agree! See more photos after the cut...

Fear of abuse from fans is preventing gay footballers from coming out- Jermaine Jenas Is the world ready for gay footballer? I doubt it! The player who once donned the colours of London clubs Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspurs says players are scared of receiving abuse from fans and as a result will do anything to prevent revealing their gay status. The Mirror last weekend revealed two Premier League stars are set to come out before the start of next season as gay, though neither player's name has been disclosed. The news received widespread support from within the football community, with Thierry Henry in particular saying it would be great for the sport. But former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder Jenas, believes players have no qualms or issues with sharing a dressing room with a gay footballer for a long time now and it is only abuse from the fans that is holding gay players from coming out.  "I have never come across a single player who has come out in Eng...

The Nigerian Senate on October 28 concluded the screening of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees, but shifted the confirmation to today. Probably the most controversial Muhammadu Buhari’s minister Rotimi Amaechi The senators had on the October 14 approved 18 of the appointees two days into the beginning of the confirmation hearing. During the screening of the ex-governor of Rivers state Rotimi Amaechi, the senators from the opposition party declined to participate in the question and answer session. The PDP senators held an emergency meeting before of today’s confirmation. Indications have emerged that they plan  to stall the confirmation of Amaechi. Senators have screened the five remaining appointees namely: Adamu Adamu (Bauchi), Professor Anthony Gozie Anwuka (Imo), Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia), Muhammadu Musa Bello(Adamawa) and Ms. Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto). The following ministerial nominees have been screened by the senators but still awaiting confirmat...

Violence has reportedly erupted in Ibadan, following allegations that a secondary school principal flogged his student to death. The turbulence began when on Wednesday, October 28, a head teacher allegedly flogged a student to death at IMG secondary school, Oke Ado, Ibadan. According to an eyewitness who spoke to Nigerian Tribune, the student arrived at school after classes had begun for the day. “He told the teacher he came late due to illness.  At that point, the principal, who was passing by asked the teacher the cause of the discussion.  The principal ordered the teacher to flog the student for coming late and he slumped in the process.  They tried to resuscitate him but it was too late,”  the witness revealed. A police spokesman in Oyo state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the incident. He also said that investigations into the matter had begun. Students of IMG on Wednesday expressed their anger after their colleague was reported dead. They vandalize...

Following the conclusion of the ministerial screening exercise yesterday, 18 ministerial nominees are set to undergo confirmation process today, October 29, as the Senate resumes plenary session. With 18 nominees already confirmed as Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Senate looks all set to determine the fate of the other nominees. Topping the list of nominees to undergo confirmation today is former governor of River state Rotimi Amaechi. However, a source has alleged that some caucus of the PDP senators has vowed to withdraw their support for Senate President Bukola Saraki should he force Amaechi’s confirmation. The Senate will also focus on the screening of the INEC chairman and the five INEC commissioners today. Naij.com is live at the Red Chamber to bring you minute-by-minute account of the confirmation process. Refresh your browser always for new update. 11:59: Lecky says:  “I see that dream of using Card Readers is Local Government...

The ministerial screening exercise which commenced about three weeks ago, came to an end yesterday, October 28. The confirmation exercise which was expected to commence immediately after, did not, as Bukola Saraki, the Senate president announced the adjournment of the Senate to today. So far, 18 nominees have been confirmed while the other half are yet to be confirmed. Most of the nominees impressed the Senate and are expected to be confirmed without any hitches but the confirmation of two of the nominees is not so sure. They are Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers state and the ministerial nominee from Cross River state, Usani Uguru. 1. Rotimi Amaechi : The former governor got into the bad books of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and played a major role in the defeat of the PDP during the 2015 general elections. Amaechi’s nomination as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari was faced with strong cri...

Twenty-four out of 29 political parties in Rivers State have said they would not present any candidate against the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, should there be a rerun of the 2015 governorship election. The State Election Petition Tribunal had on October 24, 2015, nullified Wike’s election, citing non-substantial compliance of the election to the Electoral Act. But speaking under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the political parties explained that though they were not expecting a rerun, they would not vie against the current governor of the state. IPAC Public Relations Officer and the State Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Favour Reuben, who briefed newsmen after the group’s meeting in Port Harcourt, restated that the call for a rerun was unnecessary, adding that the election in Rivers was free and fair. Reuben expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling of the tribunal that nullified Wike’s election, describing the judgement as a miscarriage...

RIP  GNS PAWOJK was a Lecturer at the University of Jos, as a Berom man, Jang invited him to his cabinet and gave him the post of COS. He donated one of his kidney to Jang with a promise to give him the Government seat. Jang is alive today as a senator, while GNS a young vibrant youth is dead The most annoying thing is that Jang biological son Yakubu refused to donate his kidney to his father. JNS foolishly gave his much to the displeasure of his wife. 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA – ‎A coalition of over 60 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in Nigeria, yesterday, decried what they termed “steady and continuous decline of the Nigerian economy” under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari. The groups, at a strategy meeting they held in Abuja yesterday under the aegis of ‎Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, said there was urgent need for President Buhari to evolve a sustainable economic plan that will attract foreign investors into ‎the country. ‎The leader of the coalition and Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Center, PLAC, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, in his opening remarks, said the “dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria” could be a function of the inability of President Buhari to appoint his Ministers six months after he assumed office. He said: “The major challenge we are currently facing is that we cannot see the urgency of ‎this administration to improve the situation. It was unfortunate that after the six months ...