2015 Elections: Catholic Church to deploy 4889 observers in 23 states

The Catholic Church would be deploying 4889 observers in 23 States of the country for the forthcoming general elections.

The Executive Secretary of Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, said this during a press briefing on Friday in Abuja where he expressed fears of possible outbreak of violence.

Genesis Cinema, Play Zone, Come To City Mall Onikan

Movie and Game buffs who reside on the Lagos Island and its environs may just be in for more exciting times as Genesis Cinemas, a leading Nigerian cinema brand, and Play Zone, a fast growing family entertainment brand, are set to open shops at the renovated City Mall, Onikan.

This was announced last week by Mr.Emmanuel Efuntayo, Principal Consultant, Ibukun Efuntayo & Company, the managers of The City Mall, during the contract signing ceremony with the two new tenants.

The managements of Genesis Cinemas and Play Zone, expressed their joy and excitement at the prospect of coming into The City Mall which is currently undergoing extensiverenovations.

According to Opeyemi Ajayi, General Manager, Genesis Group, Genesis Cinemas is coming to the City Mall based ontheir conviction that the Mall is about to become a vibrant location once again, given the huge efforts by the current managers at repositioning it. 

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.