Welcome to Abiodun Esho's Blog: 2014-05-04

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Dora Akunyili Needs Our Prayers

Dora Akunyili, a one-time Minister of Information and former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is in a serious health crisis after her medical condition deteriorated, according to several sources close to her as well as a few members of the on-going national conference.

Akunyili, a delegate at the ongoing National Conference had said she was recovering from a life-threatening ailment.

Now that the operational leadership and visible face of Boko Haram, in the person of the filth called Mr. Abubakar Shekau (aka Darul Tawheed), has finally admitted that they were responsible for the abduction of hundreds of our school girls and that they intend to ‘’sell them in the market like slaves’’, it is pertinent and necessary for us to consider some of the emerging, though uncomfortable, facts.

This is the tweet from the Pope himself. Pope Francis has asked the whole world to pray. This is the time for all of us to put away our differences, join our hands and hearts together and earnestly pray for the return of the girls.

Dear E2B reader click on the comment box below and say a word of prayer for the girls. They are counting on you.

Nigerian muslims should unite against Boko Haram - IBB

Disturbed by the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram sect in the country, a former military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd) has called on Nigerian Muslims to rise up against the continued blackmail of the religion of Islam in the land.

“Islam enjoins you to live peacefully with fellow human beings. Allah says there is no compulsion in religion, so this alone is okay for us. Therefore, anybody who will come and smear our name, all Muslims should kick against that. Muslims should also do everything possible to stop this continued blackmail against the religion of Islam. We must prepare to fight it and ensure that we become successful,” he said

Gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terror group in the early hours of Saturday blew up a bridge that links Borno and Adamawa states during an attack on Limankara, a village in Borno State, witnesses and security operatives said.

The gunmen also reportedly abducted the family of a police officer, including his wife and two children; before virtually destroying the village.

The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said that nine million tonnes of cement have been released into the market to stem the escalating cost of the product.

Dangote, who disclosed this to newsmen on Friday at the premises of Obajana Cement Company in Kogi State, said that the move was to make the product available in all parts of the country and stabilise its prices in the open market.

Mothers of the abducted girls in Chibok during a public meeting with the wife of the Borno State governor

By Ola' Audu

The kidnapped Chibok girls have been moved from the Sambisa forest towards the forest around Ashaka in Gombe State, a top security official has told PREMIUM TIMES.

Breaking!! British magazine, The Economist accuses Jonathan of incompetence

The Economist, a highly influential British news publication, has labeled President Goodluck Jonathan as incompetent. Dear E2B reader, please let's know your thoughts on the comment corner.

The magazine, pointing to the inability of Jonathan and his military to rescue over 234 school girls kidnapped over three weeks ago by Boko Haram fighters, say they cannot be trusted any longer to guarantee security for Nigerians.

United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, has said the mass kidnap of Nigerian schoolgirls is part of a wider pattern of threats and intimidation facing girls around the world who pursue an education.

The First Lady said she and her husband – President Barack Obama were “outraged and heartbroken” over the abduction on April 14 of more than 200 girls from their school.

Borno State governor Kashim Shettima was in tears yesterday as he appealed to indigenes of the state to embark on a 3-day fast for the missing Chibok girls. The proposed fasting, which will run from May12th - 14th, is to seek the face of God over the missing girls and for peace to return to the state.

The Governor got very emotional while in a meeting with the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), Chibok, who came to protest the abduction of the missing girls.

“We are calling on all Muslims and Christians to embark on a three-day fast to seek God’s help toward rescuing our girls. All of us must fast because we worship the same God. There is no politics or religious issues in this matter because the abduction of the girls is something that should bother us all as parents, uncles and guardians" he said

The governor also expressed shock that some individuals believe the kidnap never happened, and is all a scam "It is unthinkable for anyone to say such a story could be fabricated." He said

Kim & Kanye's Wedding invitation

The wedding is happening on Saturday 24th of May in Paris, France. It is a black-tie event. There are reports that Jay Z and Beyonce and many A-list celebs will attend the wedding to honor Kanye.

Dear E2B reader, you too can print the invite and attend. Police will rescue you from the bouncer. (Lol)

Chris Brown sentenced to one year in Jail over Rihanna case

TMZ just reported this news...Chris Brown was sentenced one year in jail for violating his probation in the Rihanna case during an appearance in court today. But thankfully he will only spend 131 days or less in jail for time already spent in jail.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday revealed that the masterminds of the two deadly bomb blasts that rocked Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory have been arrested and are currently helping the security agencies in their efforts to unmask their financiers.

Jonathan spoke while fielding questions from journalists at the end of the 24th World Economic Forum for Africa, WEFA, held in Abuja which ended yesterday.

#BringBackOurGirls: Actress Annie Hathaway leads the protest in LA

Perhaps by now the news of the kidnapped girls is the most popular news in the world, making it possible for those that have never heard of Nigeria before to now be singing with the name every now and then.

You will certainly agree with me that people take into arms when poverty can not be defeated. It follows logically then that when jobs are created and wealth is distributed, the very high risk arms carrying will be reduced to the minimum. This is the thinking of Mr Aliko Dangote. The Africa's richest man, says he would be investing $2.3bn in rice and sugar production in the north. The billionaire industrialist made this known yesterday at the just concluded World Economic Forum, WEF Africa.

He said creating job opportunities is the surest way to end the Boko Haram scourge. He also revealed that he would be investing a total of $12billion in Nigeria, and $4bn outside the country over the next four years. Dear E2B reader, join us in thanking Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Search for the schoolgirls 'challenging', says US

Though early but some words from the experts may begin to send shivers into our spines. US experts arriving in Nigeria to help hunt for more than 200 abducted schoolgirls face a “challenging” task and it’s too early to say if they can find them, officials warned Friday.

Seven military officials from the US Africa regional command AFRICOM along with a State Department expert arrived Friday, and three FBI personnel and four others from State and the USAID aid agency were due to arrive Saturday.

President Goodluck Jonathan says he will “not sleep” or rest on his oars until the over 200 abducted girls in Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno, are rescued.

He stated this at a world press conference to mark the end of the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF) hosted in Abuja.

Jonathan, who appealed to the parents of the abducted girls to be patient and cooperate with government, said that the girls and their abductors were still within Nigeria.
President Goodluck Jonathan

Some of the nation’s leading entertainers, on Friday joined in the call for the release of the school girls that were abducted from their school over three weeks ago by Boko Haram.

The abduction of the girls from their school in Chibok, Bornu, had since elicited worldwide condemnation. Dear E2B reader, We would also like to know what YOU think after reading.

An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded a 35 year-old woman, Fausat Yakub, in prison for allegedly attacking her ex-husband, Tunde Idris, with a dangerous liquid substance.

In Pictures: Brave Nigerians Protest in Maiduguri

A group of brave women and men on Friday staged a rally in Maiduguri, the besieged capital of Borno State, to demand the return of schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants on April 15.

Mrs. Hillary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State, has lambasted President Goodluck Jonathan over corruption in Nigeria and the reckless squandering of the nation’s oil wealth.

While speaking in separate events in New York City, Hillary said the Nigerian government under President Jonathan, squandered its oil resources, and indirectly helps corruption to fester in the country.

Nigeria’s military had advanced warning of the April 14 attack by Boko Haram that led to the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls but failed to take immediate action, Amnesty International said Friday.

“Damning testimonies gathered by Amnesty International reveal that Nigerian security forces failed to act on advance warnings about Boko Haram’s armed raid on the state-run boarding school in Chibok which led to the abduction,” the rights group said.

Dear E2B readers, these are signs that all hope is not lost. US experts have arrived in Nigeria to help rescue more than 200 schoolgirls being held hostage by Boko Haram Islamists, an embassy spokeswoman told AFP on Friday.

“They are here…the team is on the ground,” Rhonda Ferguson-Augustus said, without specifying the precise make-up of the group.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to stop people from further trivialising the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14.

The Lagos lawyer in a statement on Thursday said the comment credited to “some people”, including the President’s wife, Patience, that “no child was missing”, was “incendiary” and capable of deepening the agony of the abducted children’s parents.

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote said his Dangote Group will invest $16 billion to create various businesses in Nigeria and other African countries in the next four years.

Dangote spoke yesterday in Abuja at the plenary of the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa.

He said the investment programme would translate into creation of no fewer than 180,000 jobs in Nigeria and on the continent.

Nigerian Army will today commence on line registration for the 71st Regular Recruit Intake for both Trade/Non-Tradesmen and Women.

A statement by the Army Public Relations Officer Captain Ojo Adenegan, said the applicants for non tradesmen/women must possess WASC/NECO/GCE/SSCE/NABTEB with at least four credits including English Language, in not more than two sittings.

General Muhammadu Buhari Statement On Abducted Chibok Girls

Over the past few weeks, the abduction of the school girls at Chibok, Borno State has underscored the threat we have been facing as a nation in recent times from the actions of misguided persons masquerading as adherents of Islam.

Our hearts are with families who have lost loved ones in this cycle of senseless violence. We also empathize with the parents of children whose daughters are in the custody of a group of anarchists.

Cameroon has refuted allegations that some of the more than 200 missing Nigerian schoolgirls have been sold for marriage within its borders. Boko Haram’s leader had vowed to sell the girls in the marketplace.

No other topic in recent years has generated such a heated debate in Cameroon as much as the activities of the Nigerian Islamist group.

This is a protest that unifies all of us. Female police officers and officers of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp came out today to protest with women in Nassarawa state over the abduction of the Chibok girls. The women who gathered under the aegis of Federation of Muslim Woman Association of Nigeria(FOMWAN) and the Women wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Nassarawa chapter, took to the streets of Lafia, with placards bearing one message - bring back our girls. Continue...

The bombing and destruction of a small bridge linking Nigeria to Cameroon in Borno State today has caused mass destruction and confusion. The bombing occurred on the outskirts of Gamboru Ngala, site of a Monday Boko Haram attack that claimed the lives of over 300 village residents.

ABDUCTED GIRLS: VIEWS FROM ABROAD: The outrage, emotion, confusion

From a nationwide outcry, the outrage against the abduction of over two hundred teenage secondary school girls in Borno State, has become global. At the same time, the utterances of some eminent Nigerians have continued to generate mixed feelings, leading to an atmosphere of confusion as the search for the girls continues

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday expressed optimism that the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, would be the end to terror in the country.

The President said this at the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum on Africa holding in Abuja.

Boko Haram Plans To Exchange Chibok Girls For Comrades - Former Negotiator

Dear E2B reader, we would like to know your opinion if using the girls as prisoners exchange would be a good idea. Kindly comment afterreading

234 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria by Islamist militants could be released in exchange for jailed comrades, a former Boko Haram negotiator has reportedly said.

The group snatched the girls from their boarding school in Chibok in the lawless Borno region in the north of the country.

The Northern Nigeria Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday released a statement expressing reservations and alleging conspiracy in the Chibok schoolgirls abduction.

The chapter said they believe the kidnapping is a conspiracy involving the governor of the state, Kashim Shettima, the principal of the school, the chief security officer of Borno & the commissioner for Education. In the statement, they asked how 300+ girls can disappear into air without any trace and where the daughters of the principal, vice principal & CSO of the state were when the kidnapping took place, and why no single photograph of the Chibok girls has been made public by school authorities. Find their press statement after the cut..

American security experts expected in Nigeria today

Strong indications emerged on Wednesday that security experts from the United States of America may arrive in Abuja, today (Thursday) to help in the rescue of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State.

2014 WORLD CUP: Brazil reveal squad, drop Kaka, Robinho,Coutinho and Lucas Moura

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed his 23-man squad for World Cup 2014, with Kaka, Robinho and Lucas Moura all missing out. Atletico Madrid duo Miranda and Filipe Luis also missed out, as did Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho and Bayern Munich defender Rafinha

Napoli’s Henrique, Inter midfielder Hernanes, Roma’s Maicon and PSG defender Maxwell were all unsure of their places at the tournament ahead of the announcement in Rio this morning, but all have been selected.

The quartet were all absent from the squad that travelled to Johannesburg for Brazil’s 5-0 victory over South Africa in March.

The United States- based New York Times has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is leading a corrupt government.
It added that the government had little credibility.

The newspaper, in its editorial published on its website on May 6, condemned Jonathan’s “inept and slow” attitude towards locating and rescuing the schoolgirls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.

It also condemned the reaction of the President’s wife, Patience, to the incident, describing it as “stunningly callous.”

If we as a country never felt loved by the outside world, now is the time to do a rethink. CNN has not for one day stopped talking about us. This has made the search for the girls to gather momentum and everyone is trying hard to see a pleasant end.

Our dear Michelle Obama is seen here showing her concern. We all in Nigeria must wake up to expectations and take the lead in getting back our girls. Dear E2B reader, what do you think?

Nigeria’s Abducted Girls - What New York Times wrote about GEJ

Below is a New York Times editorial published yesterday May 6. Please read it and let's know what you think.

Three weeks after their horrifying abduction in Nigeria, 276 of the more than 300 girls who were taken from a school by armed militants are still missing, possibly sold into slavery or married off. Nigerian security forces apparently do not know where the girls are and the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, has been shockingly slow and inept at addressing this monstrous crime.

In a very turbulent and intense period in Nigeria, characterized by the massive insecurity problems in the country, and most especially, campaigns for the release of over 200 teenagers abducted by the Boko Haram terror group, Nigerians have designed viral video edits on Facebook, Twitter and instagram with images including T-shirts and caricature of wife of the Nigerian President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, to mock her for speaking pidgin English while addressing Mrs Asabe Aliyu Kwarmbula, the Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State over the abducted 234 students of the school at a press briefing.

Britain will send a small team of experts to Nigeria to help respond to the kidnap of more than 200 girls, a Downing Street spokesman said Wednesday.

The team will concentrate on planning, coordination and advice to local authorities rather than operations on the ground to look for the girls, who were seized by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram on April 14.

More help is on the way and we hope that the end of this mystery will come soon enough. The French govt has offered to help Nigeria by providing intelligence that would help in rescuing the kidnapped girls. This was made known by the Foreign Affairs minister of France, Laurent Fabius.

The Nigerian police has announced a cash prize of N50million to anyone who comes forward with credible information that would help in locating and rescuing abducted Chibok school girls. This was announced in a statement released on their website this morning. Find the statement after the cut...

However obviuos a crime is, jungle justice is not the best way to address it. Many times, innocent people have been erroneously killed as a result. Remember the Alu 4?

I think Government should consider jungle justice a crime heavily punishable. It must stop or what do you think?

Fashola threatens to sanction churches, mosques over noise pollution

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday threatened to sanction any church or mosque found disturbing public peace with noise from their loud speakers.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, issued the threat at his Ministry’s 2014 Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja.

He said that government had been inundated with complaints from residents living near some religious places disturbing their neighbourhoods with noise and it would no longer watch the trend continue.

President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted the offer made by President Barack Obama to deploy United States troops and equipment in Nigeria to assist in locating the schoolgirls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Abati said the offer of assistance was conveyed to Jonathan by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in a telephone conversation he initiated on behalf of Obama.

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, on Tuesday announced Nigeria’s provisional 30-man list for the FIFA 2014 World Cup.

The list, submitted by Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, was read on Tuesday evening by a member of the Technical Committee of the NFF, Paul Bassey.

Recent News

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Friday, 9 May 2014

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Tuesday, 6 May 2014