Ike Okoro Official Blog

The Federal Government has said it is currently investigating the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over debts owed contractors to the time of about N1 trillion. The Government said it wants to access the activities of the commission with the probe as well as establish what has been happening with the huge funds sunk into it over the 17 years of its existence. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, who stated this in Abuja on Thursday, also stated that the probe will among other things verify all projects and resources deployed to the commission since it was created in the year 2000. This is coming at a time the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has seized a mansion allegedly belonging to a former Executive Director, Finance and Administration, of the commission, Henry Ogiri. According to Usani, there is also need to clean up the commission over allegations that some staff are in the business of demanding for percentages bef...

The battle by the Senator representing Delta North, Mr Peter Nwaoboshi is getting messier as information  reveals that the embattled Senator has secured the state government approval but through the backdoor to help him recover Guinea House which is under seal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). According to our insider sources, Nwaoboshi approached the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Mrakpor and his wife and allegedly enticed them with the sum of N100 million with more promise of contracts from NDDC which he oversees in the Senate if they stand by him to get back his house. The plot we gathered is for Mrakpor to tell the Judge handling the case in Asaba that the property was not undervalued and sold legally to the Senator. They have also planned to tell the judge to hands off the case since it’s a state property and not a Federal property. The 60 years old Senator last week wasted over N70 million just to celebrate his new...

The deputy secretary general of the United Nations Amina Mohammed met with some of the rescued Chibok girls  Amina said she feels humbled to have met the girls She also said the girls are an inspiration to many in Nigeria The meeting which took place in Abuja, was aimed at inspiring women and some of the girls cut up in conflict related areas in Nigeria. Tweeting on her meeting with the girls, Amina said: "Women & girls are not only survivors but also crisis prevention agents. Inspiring chat with women leaders & conflict affected girls #DSGinNG." Stating that survivors of conflicts are strong people, the UN scribe said she is humbled to have met and dined with the rescued Chibok girls. Mohammed said she feels humbled to have met the girls. Source: Twitter, Amina Mohammed "Survivors are strong. You have aspirations, drive and inspiration. I am humbled to have met, danced and dined with #ChibokGirls #DSGinNG," Mohammed said in a tweet...

The Appeal Court sitting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, has discharged and acquitted a former governor of the state, Bala Ngilari. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Ngilari of corruption and alleged violation of procurement laws in the award of N167 million contract to one El-Yadi Motors Limited for the supply of 25 units of operational vehicles (Toyota Corolla). Following the allegation, the EFCC instituted a 19-count charge against Ngilari, his former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ibrahim Welye and his former Commissioner of Finance and Budget, Sanda Lamurde. The three pleaded not guilty and their lawyers applied for bail on their behalf, but the prosecution opposed the appeal. Ngilari was later jailed by a Yola High Court that found him guilty of ignoring due process in the procurement of 25 vehicles for N169 million. He was however granted bail under controversial circumstances, on health grounds, by a Yola High Court 1, pr...

The Senate, on Thursday, rej‎ected the nomination of Professor Mustapha Zubairu from Niger State, as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The confirmation of three other nominees were suspended till further notice. Prominent on the list is Ambassador Rufus Oloruntoyin Akeju from Lagos State. Others are Ahmad Bello Mahmud from Zamfara State and Mahmuda Isah from Kebbi State. The suspension and rejection of the three nominees, followed the adoption of a report of the committee on INEC, chaired by Suleiman Nazif from Bauchi State. Details later… Copyright: Ike's Blog.   All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this Blog Page, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from Ike's blog CONTACT: okoroikechukwu031@gmail.com

Niger State Command Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, arrested two notorious Kidnapping kingpins who have been on the wanted list of the Nigeria Police in their hideout at Sauka Kahuta area Minna.  The suspects Abraham Jatto 'm' and Idowu Mafe 'm' all graduates, specialize in Kidnapping undergraduate students and demanding for ransom from their parents.  The suspects most often disposses their victims of their valuables such as laptops, handsets, jewelries and money. The criminal gang is responsible for the kidnap of one Esther Okwe a 500 level student of Estate Management Dept. Federal University of Technology Minna, where they collected the sum of #500,000 from her parents before she gained her freedom. They are also responsible for the kidnap of one Agbo Sylvanus, a 500 level student of Mathematics Dept. FUT and Peter Adawn a 400 level student of same university. Police recovered a Honda Accord vehicle used by the suspects in Kidnapping their victims. Susp...

Top Democrats on the House and Senate Russia investigations and a top digital staffer from the campaign of President Donald Trump split sharply on whether the campaign colluded with Russia, but many agree that Facebook holds the answers investigators are looking for and they want the social media giant to give up the goods. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, met with Facebook officials in California more than a month ago as part of his committee's investigation into potential collusion or election interference, and he's convinced the company can explain whether anyone from the Trump campaign helped Russians boost fake news articles targeting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.  Warner is testing the theory popular among Democratic operatives that Russia was behind spikes in fake news that were anti-Clinton and that Russia had help targeting those articles from US political operatives. "If the Russians kno...

Senator Andy Uba was accompanied by other senators, including Shehu Sani, Danjuma Goje, Dino Melaye, and Usman Bayero Nafada among others to pick up the Governorship nomination form.  The Senator responded to questions from journalists after picking up the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms. He reported that “41 senators followed him to the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)”. He said he remained the only aspirant who was competent enough to un-seat Governor Willie Obiano, having had the opportunity to become governor and two-term senator. When questioned on the alleged certificate forgery and the insinuation that he was planning to return to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he said, “It is a very wicked lie. It is blackmail. They are just trying to sabotage me”. “They know that I’m on the ground. They know what I have done for Anambra State and constituency, you can go and check. No senator has done what I have done ...

Hon umar bago mohammed is the current member  federal house of representative chanchaga federal constituency, Niger state. This is what a member of his contituency has to say about him, Chanchaga local govt have only eleven ward and i can go round the wards in 2hours, in the history of the local govt nobody has represent us twice in green chamber except umar bago,  no good projects, no scholaship, no job oppotunities, imagine minna is the capital city of Niger state and we are the power state and dat is wia he is representing we dnt have stable light he has never pass a bill about that, he always come back during election time and start sharing some bikes and 206 cars to his codinators what about the remaining people that waist dia time, money and energy to vote him,  why can't he use that money and pay waec for our brazas and sistas? why can't he sponsor people to study medicine abroad the way lado suleja is doing?  enough is enough plz i am cal...

In december 2016,522.74 billion naira was shared among the 36 states of the federation as first tranche of the paris club refund. With conditions of disbursement under an agreement with the federal government. One of such agreements was that 50% of any amount recieved would be earmarked for payment of salaries and pensions. But months after,most states still owe months of salaries and pensions with the attendant hardship on their citizens. and there are even several allegations of opacity and illegality  in handling of the funds by most state governors. Let it be stated clear and direct, that in this representative democracy, this is public money and the various governors are all public servants. The people at the states and local council levels are entitled to know how this funds are been spent. dont just sit at the fence while your governor shares the fund meant for the development of your state amongst friends and family members. Now that the second tranche of ...

Youths dream to build good houses, ride the best cars, marry the best wives, enjoy the best of relaxations, have establishments that will echo all over the globe, be famous like the world known footballers and musicians, and so many other good things. But the truth is that some of these dreams of the people in this class do not come through even before they leave the planet earth. Youthful age is the time in the life of young people filled with so many challenges. Many in the course of these challenges have lost focus in life. Some have found themselves in the point of indecision because of the demanding tasks involved in this stage of life. Youths dream to build good houses, ride the best cars, marry the best wives, enjoy the best of relaxations, have establishments that will echo all over the globe, be famous like the world known footballers and musicians, and so many other good things. But the truth is that some of these dreams of the people in this class do not come th...

According to the court papers argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the property, which has 24 apartments, 18 flats and six penthouses, is located as Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate. Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of a $37.5m property at Banana Island bought by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in 2013. According to the court papers argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the property, which has 24 apartments, 18 flats and six penthouses, is located as Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate. Apart from the property, the court also ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums of $2,740,197.96 and N84,537,840.70, said to be part of the rent collected on the property. The...

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said without any doubt that Nigeria as one of the greatest countries in the world. He also said that in about 10 years from now, Nigeria will be rated among 15 largest economies in the world. In his own words, “This country is one of the greatest countries in the world, there is no question at all about that. We see that in another ten years, probably we will be measuring with the 15th largest economies in the world.” A statement released by the acting president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, quoted Osinbajo as making this declaration on Tuesday at the palace of the Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, during a one-day visit to Zamafara State. Speaking at the palace of the emir, the acting president said he was in the state to see the performance of Governor Abdulaziz Yari. He said the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government wants to see a Nigeria safe for “our people to work and live and I am especially ...

About two weeks after it boasted to high heavens that it will henceforth not consider requests for confirmation of nominees from the presidency, the Senate, on Wednesday, made a U-turn, when it received a report from its committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of 12 screened Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). Recall that the Senate, had on the 4th of July, 2017, vowed that requests from the presidency will not be considered until the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo withdraws a statement credited to him, wherein he was quoted to have said that the Senate does not need to confirm nominees from the executive arm. As at the time of filing in this report, Acting President Osinbajo was yet to tender any apology or withdraw the controversial statement. The position of the Senate a forthright ago, had followed the unveiling of a letter sent to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, urging the upper chamber to confirm Lanre Gbajabiamila as the s...

The Senate, on Wednesday, announced that it will soon commence a probe of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to ascertain how grants and other financial aids received by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) from foreign donors have been spent. NFIU is an agency supervised by the EFCC. The Senate arrived at the decision on Wednesday when it considered a motion tagged “Dire implication of the suspension of Nigeria from the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units,”. It was sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi. Utazi who chairs the Senate committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, while moving the motion, bemoaned the suspension of Nigeria by Egmont Group, and urged his colleagues to immediately give nod to the sponsorship of a bill which will grant full autonomy to NFIU. “My committee will soon commence a probe into the activities of NFIU to determine and ascertain how grants and aids they have received have been spent by the EFCC. We wil...

Contoversial governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has made good his boast to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari. The Ekiti state helmsman has launched his presidential campaign on Facebook. Fayose had earlier in the year claimed that God told him that he will become Nigeria’s President. He has has not too long ago hinted on actualising that in 2019. While many Nigerians had seen Fayose as merely seeking attention with such statement, the Ekiti State governor has gone a step further to lunch his presidential campaign on Facebook. Fayose’s presidential campaign launch is coming even as his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is said to have zoned the position to the North. While some have argued that Fayose, who also is the PDP Governors Forum chairman, may be plotting to dump his party to actualize his goal, others feel that he is only positioning himself for a vice presidential position which PDP has zoned to the South. Meanwhile, some political watchers...

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has demanded for the immediate release of the panel report on suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr David Babachir Lawal and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ayo Oke Fayose, who is also the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum chairman, made this demand in a letter addressed to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. In the letter dated July 11, 2017 and received at the Acting President’s office on July 13, 2017, the governor also demanded that the Acting President must “act expeditiously on the report”. He also threatened to approach the law court to compel the Acting President to release and act on the report if he fails to do so. Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka made this known in a statement issued on Sunday. According to the statement, Fayose told Osinbajo “never to habour the view that the matter can be swept under the carpet,” adding...

The bill, though passed at 1st and 2nd readings, was not included in the final report that was considered and adopted by the lawmakers at the Lagos retreat which held on 14 – 15 July 2017 Reports emanating from the just concluded joint retreat on constitution review held in Intercontinental hotel, Lagos indicates that the Senate and House Committee on Constitution review have killed the Not Too Young To Run bill. The bill, though passed at 1st and 2nd readings, was not included in the final report that was considered and adopted by the lawmakers at the Lagos retreat which held on 14 – 15 July 2017. The mere fact that the proposed amendment was not included on the agenda suggests that the National Assembly members, particularly members of the committee were opposed to any move to open the political space for youth inclusion.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu  publicly declared support for the ...

The Federal Territory Administration (FCTA) has unveiled names of dangerous spots within Abuja city centre, where hoodlums ply their trade. According to statistics released by the FCT Administration, through one of its agencies, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Berger’s roundabout, Maitama District, Mabushi, Gwarinpa, Apo roundabout, Area 1 & 3, Galadimawa, Kubwa express and Wuse 2, are the top dangerous spots identified in the city centre. The statistics showed that the hoodlums disguise as taxi drivers and also operate around AYA junction, Airport Road, Nicon junction and Utako/Jabi axis. It was also discovered that the hoodlums use uncompleted buildings, highway with speed breakers, pedestrian bridges, crowded markets, parks and deserted streets as their hideouts. According to the crime statistics released, about 9,350 attacks have been carried out in private properties, while 2,984 offences have been carried out against persons. It has been  revealed th...

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has called on Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other judicial officers to discipline their stomachs and stop aiding politicians to promote the culture of impunity in the country. He stated this at the 2017 Annual Dinner and Honours Night of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Abuja chapter, held in the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday. “We must discipline ourselves and discipline our stomachs,” Onnoghen said and called on them to reciprocate the respect bestowed upon them by the judiciary by helping to make the work of the courts easy. He said, “We should try our very best to leave the trouble waters of impunity because if you look inward, you will know that we are part and parcel of it. The legal profession is part of the culture of impunity. “We represent politicians who come in with all sorts of jokers in the name of brief and we help them heat up the polity, heat up the judiciary and cast aspersions on judici...