Finally, Jonathan Sacks Minister of Youth Development

Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-kadir

President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-kadir, and relieved his appointment as the Minister of Youth Development with effect from yesterday August 26, 2013.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim announced this decision yesterday in a statement directing Abdul-Kadir to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.

Amaechi, Five Northern Governors Float New Party

Governor Rotimi Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and the five northern Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, who have been going round the country holding consultations on the state of the nation, may have decided to form their own political party, named Voice of the People (VOP).

SIMON KOLAWOLE: The Republic of Southern Nigeria

Simon Kolawole Live!: By Simon Kolawole, Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com

Oh my God, Igbo and Yoruba nationalists have started again. They always look for the faintest opportunity to exchange hurtful and incendiary words, betraying a relationship built on mutual suspicion, bitterness, rivalry, resentment and group megalomania. These guys never allow any boxing or wrestling opportunity to pass them by. Whether it is Chinua Achebe’s “There Was a Country” or Femi Fani-Kayode’s “Lagos, The Igbo and Servants of Truth”, there is always a little spark to ignite meaningless arguments over who created Lagos, who betrayed who, who perpetrated genocide, who invented ethnic politics, and such like. These are issues that should belong in the past but are being treated as fresh developments everyday of the week.

Security Operatives Uncover Illegal Oil Wells in Lagos, Kogi

NNPC

Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),  Lagos State Command and the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-pipeline Vandalism, at the weekend uncovered illegal oil wells in both Lagos and Kogi States respectively.

The operatives of the NSCDC had at Alimatu Ilo Street, Ejigbo, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State, discovered wells dug to the level of oil pipelines, where products suspected to be petroleum products were siphoned into trucks by vandals.

Navy Hands over Bayelsa Oil Thieves to EFCC

Nigerian Navy

For 11 Nigerians and a Camerounian suspected  of oil theft, the day of justice is approaching. The end of the road in their nefarious activities came recently when officials of the Nigerian Navy intercepted their boat and arrested them for allegedly stealing 10,000 litres of illegally refined diesel   off the waterways of the Egweama community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

With preliminary investigations concluded to determine their culpability or otherwise, the suspects have now being handed over to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) for further investigations and possible trial for crime against the nation’s economy.

FAAN Blames Arik Air, Probes Stowaway Incident

Arik Airline

The   Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has blamed Arik Air for negligence that led a teenager to stow away in its aircraft that brought him from Benin to Lagos at the weekend. It expressed the determination of the Nigerian aviation authorities to probe how the teenage boy managed to hide inside the undercarriage of the  plane.

Airport security arrested the stowaway teenager on Saturday following the alarm by passengers who saw him emerge from the undercarriage of the 45-minute Arik flight from Benin, officials said. "We have launched an investigation into the incident. This is a clear case of security breach," FAAN spokesman, Mr. Yakubu Dati,  told AFP.

Enugu Lion building 2015 Marshal 7 club hails Gov. Chime

ENUGU GOVERNOR

Marshal 7 club, a socio- cultural organization with members spanning across South-Eastern divide rose from a meeting in Lagos during the week and expressed gratitude to Governor Sulivan Chime of Enugu State for his honest disposition in his choice of Enugu North (Nsukka) to succeed him in Enugu state lion building in 2015.

The Chairman of the club, Chief Fidelis Ezema who spoke on behalf of the members stated that there was nothing more solemn than the truth as expressed by the Governor of the state in his frankness to the issue of a successor. “His Excellency has exhibited not only honesty, but a rare civility in leadership. We thank him not only for his statement but also for the good work he is doing in the state. Peace and security plus infrastructural and human capital development have become a hallmark of his administration.

Delta State Government to further boost morale of security personnel

DELTA GOVERNOR, EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN

In pursuit of its agenda of safeguarding lives and property in the State, the Delta State government is poised to further strengthen the confidence of security personnel by making available to them ballistic vests and ballistic ceramic helmets. Specifically, the State government has ordered about 2500 pieces of ballistic vests and 2000 pieces of ballistic ceramic helmets.

The ballistic vests and helmets will help in boosting the morale of security personnel in combating and further reducing the rate of crime in the State. Speaking on the security situation in Delta State, Mr. Chike Ogeah, Commissioner for Information said, “As we speak, security in Delta State is at optimum level with the environment very clement for businesses and individuals to operate. Time was when kidnapping and other violent crimes got quite disturbing. But His Excellency, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, CON embarked on a concerted programme to improve security”,

EKHOMU COMMENDS JTF OVER GAINS IN WAR ON TERROR

Ekhomu

Renowned security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu has commended the Joint (Military) Task Force (JTF) on the elimination of Momodu Bama, the second in command to Boko Haram leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau. He said that decimation of the top leadership of the terrorist organization would lead to early victory in the war on terror and safety of Nigeria lives. He therefore urged Boko Haram leaders to embrace peace and stop further terrorists attack on innocent citizens.

In a press statement issued in Abuja, Dr. Ekhomu who is the first chartered security professional in West Africa said that the JTF security operation in the northeast had been a huge success. He urged the military to develop a new security master plan in the northeast aimed at containing isolated Boko Haram attacks on the civil populace.

Businessman's Mysterious Death Shocks Lagos Neighbourhood

The street where the incident happened

The last time anyone including his neighbours saw Mr. Sylvanus Ikelie Okoye, a Lagos businessman, was precisely two weeks ago. His sudden disappearance albeit mysterious at first miffed his neighbours, as he did not tell them he was traveling yet his house was under lock and key.

After two weeks of his purported disappearance, it was yesterday discovered that he did not travel at all. All that time, he was locked up in his residence at Ezemegbu Drive, off Ago Palace Way, Okota, area of Lagos. He was dead.