Zik's first son is dead

Chief Chukwuma Bamidele Azikiwe, the first son of pioneer President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe is dead.

A family source who pleaded not to be named, said he passed on at Boromeo Hospital Onitsha on Sunday at the age of 75.

It was gathered that he had been battling protracted respiratory- related ailment for some years.

Until his death, Chukwuma was the Owelle of Onitsha, a traditional position he inherited from his father in 1996 . Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe died 19 years ago on 11th May, 1996.

Don’t expect too much from Buhari, Cardinal Okogie tells Nigerians

The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus, Anthony Okogie, on Sunday urged Nigerians not to expect too much from the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, saying change is a gradual process.
“Nigeria seems to be on a collision course with destiny and the hopes of many are hanging in the balance. I can understand the sense of urgency and expediency in the expectations of Nigerians,” he said in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
“Yet sincerely, I think we are expecting too much too soon. Change will come but it will be gradual but surely.
“It will amount to putting the cart before the horse to expect radical revolution from the General.
“We must exercise patience and give him chance to deliver on his promises. What he needs more than anything is our support, cooperation, collaboration and goodwill,” he said.
The cleric urged Mr. Buhari to focus on providing quality governance on assuming office, and pay less attention to distractions.

Senator-elect, Ben Bruce, under fire for anti-corruption tweets

A senator elect, Ben Murray Bruce, has come under fire from Nigerian youths on micro-blogging site, Twitter, following his anti-corruption tweets.

Mr. Bruce, who tweets via @benmurraybruce, had joined other legislators, including Senator Bukola Saraki and Senator-elect Solomon Adeola who in recent times urged the incoming administration to cut down on government expenses and fight corruption.

But the youths saw it as an opportunity to attack the Silverbird group chairman for what they consider his under performance as director general of the Nigerian Television Authority.

Some Nigerians wondered why he didn’t transform NTA the way he has done with his Silverbird Television.

PDP Crisis: Party Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, calls for ceasefire; woos Ayo Fayose

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmadu Mu’azu, has appealed to all members of the party across the country to put behind them the disappointment of defeat, rest all misunderstandings and put the survival and stability of the party ahead of all other considerations.

Mr. Mu’azu, in a statement on Tuesday, said although the party’s defeat in the last general election was painful, members should key into the intervention by President Goodluck Jonathan and not allow the situation to further divide the party.

“The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has noted the various reactions that trailed the unfortunate loss of our great party in the last general elections,” Mr. Mu’azu said in his statement. “In the last few weeks, the media has been fishing on these reactions with a section even blowing it out of proportion to a level that has become a threat to our oneness as a family.

HOW S/AFRICAN MERCENARIES HELPED NIGERIA TO ROUT BOKO HARAM

RECENT successes recorded by the Nigerian Army in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency are not unconnected with the clandestine strides of a group of South African bush warfare experts, hired in secrecy by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government, it has been revealed.
The group, known as Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP), led by Colonel Eeben Barlow, had, since January, taken charge of the training of elite strike group within the Nigerian Army in a tactic known as “relentless pursuit,” which involved mimicking Boko Haram’s hit-and-run tactics with non-stop assaults.
President Jonathan’s decision to hire STTEP, it was disclosed, was due to government’s failure to either tackle Boko Haram or free the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.
This consequently proved decisive in the invasion of strongholds of the Boko Haram insurgents, leading to the freeing of hundreds of girls and women hitherto used by Boko Haram as slaves and wives.

JONATHAN’S MEN THROW OUT JOURNALIST FROM VILLA Punch report

President Goodluck Jonathan’s handlers on Monday walked out a journalist from the Presidential Villa in Abuja, in what could be a new style of intimidating newsmen.
Their first victim is Mr. Ubale Musa, the State House correspondent of German Radio, Deutsche Welle.
Musa’s accreditation tag was withdrawn by security operatives attached to the Presidential Villa.
The embattled journalist was expelled from the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for asking visiting Chadian President, Idriss Derby, a question authorities found to be embarrassing.
Musa had asked the visiting President to explain the relationship between the multinational task force fighting in Lake Chad and the South African mercenaries fighting with them.
Derby simply responded that he had no information concerning mercenaries from South Africa.
Shortly after the visiting President left, Musa was invited by security operatives and his tag was withdrawn.

JONATHAN APPOINTS EMIR SANUSI UNIBEN PRO-CHANCELLOR

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, was on Monday appointed the pro-chancellor of the University of Benin, Edo State.
Speaking at his palace on Monday, after receiving his letter of appointment from the Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, Mr. Sanusi said doing good always has its rewards.
He explained, “I’m saying this because as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria then, I came to the rescue of the university by spending N500 million to construct a bridge yearned for by the university for over 30 years.
“If at that time one told me I would reap the reward of that job almost immediately I would not agree, but today, in Allah’s favour, I’m being appointed the pro-chancellor of the university, something that is telling one that he should always think of being good not only to his close people but to everybody far and near.”
Mr. Sanusi cautioned governments against establishing too many universities. He said what Nigeria needs today is quality education that will herald the much needed development.

Awka President General Chieftaincy Title Tussle Thickens

The Izu-Ozo community heads have called on Anambra state Governor Willie Obiano to intervene as a matter of urgency to restore normalcy to the state capital city president general squabble. 

They alleged the outgoing President General of Awka Development Union of Nigeria (ADUN), Mr. Tony Okechukwu  planning to perceptual himself in office, after serving his constitutional tenure of single term of three years , allegedly  conspiring with the Awka traditional ruler, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, the Eze-Uzu II of Awka   to altercate the constitution in the bid to serve two term in office.

Addressing journalists in Awka,  the secretary of  Izu-Ozo Group in Awka, a group of titled men in Awka, Dr. Aneze Chinwuba said Awka constitution does not provide for tenure elongation, adding that Okechukwu has ceased to be the PG for Awka since March 17, 2015. He said: “Our constitution says that election of new PG must be conducted three months to the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent, but Okechukwu started talking about the election after Awka people had started complaining about the sit tight attitude of the PG.

Chidi Mokeme Buy Wife Brand New Sprot Ranger Jeep

The actor who welcomed a child with his wife a few months ago took to instagram this afternoon to share a photo of the Range Rover Sports Supercharged SUV he bought for her. Chidi wrote;   "You may be treated like the maid, You may be treated like the gardener, You may be treated like the Day Care, You may be treated like the Chauffeur, You may be treated like many things, But One Thing is for sure, You will always be loved! All that I have, All that I am, All that I hope to be, will be incomplete without you! So this is for all the times that I forgot to say Thank you! You and our prince deserve to ride in Style! Very Lovely Chidi

2015 elections: I hope Patience will not divorce me – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday,  expressed fears that his wife might divorce him because of his decision to allow the just concluded election go on to its logical conclusion without  interference.

Speaking at a thanksgiving and farewell service in his honour at the Cathedral Church of the Advent Life-Camp, Gwarinpa,  Abuja, President Jonathan cited the case of the former South African Apartheid leader,  F.W de Klerk whose wife divorced him for ending minority rule in South Africa.

President Jonathan who expressed appreciation  to Nigerians for giving him the opportunity to serve at various capacities reiterated his willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in the interest of the Nation.

He said: “I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost. That I have ran the government this way that stabilized certain things,  the electoral process and other things that brought stability into this country. They were very costly decisions which I must be ready to pay for.