Nigerian government restates commitment to N1.3 trillion universities grant

The Federal Government on Saturday restated its commitment to earmark N1.3 trillion as intervention grant to public universities on the platform of National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, NEEDS, Assessment Programme.

The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, said this in an interactive dinner in Abuja on Saturday, noting that the grant is for five years.

He said that the NEEDS Assessment intervention was a fall-out of several deliberations between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

“We have persistent complaints from for our universities about dilapidated laboratories and so on; then the government took the bull by the horn.

“President Goodluck Jonathan set up a committee to go round the universities on the platform of NEEDS Assessment which was conducted two years ago.

APC welcomes Presidency’s denial of pushing for election shift

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the statement by the Presidency/Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that they are not behind the ongoing campaign for next month’s general elections to be shifted, saying both must now back up their words with action by cutting off the funding for the surreptitious campaign immediately.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said having seen that the election-shift campaign has been rejected by Nigerians, the Presidency and the PDP have wisely backed away from it, that is if they can be trusted to mean what they say.

Lagos judiciary workers suspend strike

The Lagos State branch of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, on Saturday suspended its four weeks old strike

The suspension was the outcome of a meeting held between JUSUN executives and stakeholders in the Lagos State justice sector.

The Chairman of the union, Emmanuel Abioye, who confirmed the suspension in a message to the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, said the decision was taken in the interest of the state.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Ipaye said Lagos State was already implementing the provisions on autonomy of the judiciary.

Maiduguri under fresh Boko Haram attack

Gunshots are sounding in Maiduguri Sunday morning as soldiers and Boko Haram terrorists engage in battle over the control of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
A soldier on the frontline told a Ashiwaju.org reporter that the insurgents initially moved to invade Maiduguri town through a suburb community called Dalwa.
“It is the Boko Haram terrorists we are battling with now as you can hear. They wanted to enter through Dalwa. But we are tackling them”.
The attack is coming a week after the insurgents launched simultaneous attacks on three key Borno towns — Maiduguri, Konguda and Munguno.

YABATECH declares 22-day vacation for elections

The Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, has directed its full-time and part-time students to proceed on a 22-day vacation to enable them exercise their civic rights during next month’s general elections.

This is contained in a bulletin signed by the Head, Public Relations Unit of the college, Charles Oni. According to the bulletin, the holidays would start from February 11 and end on March 4.

It also stated that hostels and lecture theatres would be under lock and key throughout the period.

The bulletin quoted the rector of the college, Margaret Ladipo, as appealing to the students to comport themselves during the holidays.

Mixed reactions, however, trailed the announcement, as some students said the vacation would disrupt the second semester academic calendar.

Women Should Not Be Allowed In Politics- Satguru Maharaj Ji

One Love Family has declared that it is a taboo for women to occupy leadership roles and should only play secondary roles in the society. According to him there are bound to be confusion and ineffective policy. 

“Women must not lead. If a woman is a governor, what do you address her, ‘first man’, or ‘first lady man’. It is there in the Bible and Qu’ran. Even the Bible said, women must not lead in the church. They are to play secondary roles. Look at Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister of the Economy, look at the policies being made.”

Labaran Maku blasts Jonathan’s Men for calling him ‘Ungrateful Animal’

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Nasarawa State, Labaran Maku, has hit back at Senate President, David Mark, and a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], Ahmadu Ali, for accusing him of betraying the party.Maku, the immediate past Minister of Information, joined APGA to contest the Nasarawa governorship election, after losing to Yusuf Agabi in the PDP primaries in December last year. He cited injustice and fraudulent processes in the primary as the reasons for his defection. But at the PDP campaign flag-off in Keffi last week, David Mark accused Maku of ingratitude and betrayal for leaving that PDP which brought him to limelight.Similarly, on

JONATHAN IN P/HARCOURT, SAYS ‘NO SHAKING’

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday stormed Port Harcourt, Rivers State with his reelection campaign and told the huge crowd at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium that there is “no shaking,” implying that his victory is a fait accompli.
He said: “PDP Power, No shaking.”
The President urged the crowd that they should continue to support all candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, across all levels and promised to work with them to bring development to the state.
President Jonathan, in his brief address, pledged to leave an indelible mark in the state if voted into office again by the people.

It’s Time To Vote Out ‘I Will Do President’ – Amaechi Blasts Jonathan

Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has called on Nigerians to vote out President Goodluck Jonathan over his inability to achieve anything meaningful since he assumed office six years ago.Amaechi who described Jonathan as “I will do’’ president affirmed that Nigeria would no longer welcome Jonathan’s empty promises of ‘I will do’.The governor who doubles as the DG of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation made this call in Benin, the Edo State capital during the presidential rally of the party in the state.Addressing the mammoth crowd that came out to welcome the Peoples General on Thursday, Amaechi mocked Jonathan for admitting that he had not achieved anything since he came on board during his rally in Port Harcourt.Speaking on Jonathan’s promises, Amaechi said: “Yesterday, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in person of Goodluck Jonathan admitted that he had not done anything in the South South region. You heard him. DAILY POST recalls that Jonathan had admitted the criticism by Governor Amaechi that his government has not done anything for the people of Rivers State.President Jonathan, who spoke during the

Nigeria’ll break if Jonathan is not re-elected, Tompolo insists Read full story here:

Ex- Niger Delta militants, despite being widely condemned for their utterances, have insisted that there’ll be trouble should President Goodluck Jonathan lose the February 14 election. It would be recalled that one time Defence Minister Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma condemned their utterances and called for their arrest. But that didn’t seem to bother them, as only yesterday, former Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) leader Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) restated the threat he issued along with other ex-militant leaders in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The threat of war which was issued in the presence of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Niger Delta, Mr Kingsley Kuku, has been widely