younglee's Blog

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has called on all international agencies and the Nigerian government to help assist children in at risk of malnutrition. In an interview with Channels Television, UNICEF’s Communications Officer in Nigeria, Doune Porter, said part of the assistance is to provide medical help for close to 250,000 children whom it says will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year if not treated. UNICEF estimates that 244,000 children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2016 in Borno State alone and if they are not reached with treatment, one in five of them will die. Meanwhile, UNICEF has said that it plans to scale-up its response in Borno State substantially, despite the temporary suspension of humanitarian aid in the state. UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough said in a statement that the fund cannot let a “heartless attack” divert it from reaching the more than two million people who are in ...

Reports say a prison break has occurred at the Koton Karfe Medium Security Prison in Kogi State. The incident occured at about 7.10am on Saturday. About 13 inmates are said to broken their cells and escaped through the fence. Three of the 13 are convicts. This is about the third time a prison break is taking place at the Koton Karfe Prison.

UNICEF says it will continue to provide assistance to millions of conflict-affected children in northeast Nigeria, despite Thursday’s attack on a humanitarian convoy. As a result of the attack, in which one UNICEF staff member was injured, travel by UN staff to high risk areas has been temporarily suspended. However, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Jean Gough, said that the organization continues “working at full strength in the Borno state capital Maiduguri”. “We continue to call for increased efforts to reach people in desperate need across the state. We cannot let this heartless attack divert any of us from reaching the more than two million people who are in dire need of immediate humanitarian assistance.” UNICEF has also called on donors and humanitarian organizations to scale-up the response to the emerging disaster in Borno State, which is the most affected by the conflict with Boko Haram. Before the attack, security conditions had been improving in several areas....

Men of Nigeria Customs Service have destroyed imported frozen poultry product worth over 220 million Naira. The truck carrying the contraband product was intercepted along the Benin-Ore-Lagos expressway by men of the Federal Operation Unit Zone C. The Deputy Comptroller General of Customs Enforcement, Sola Oladesu, supervised the destruction exercise at the Customs House in Benin City the Edo state capital. He reiterated the readiness of the Nigeria Customs Service to continue its ongoing crackdown on smugglers across the country. He also said that apart from the issue of revenue generation for the federal government, the Nigeria Customs service is also worried about the health implications of the activities of smugglers.

The Anambra state Government has revealed plans to commence supply of Sorghum, as Delfarms Songhai Farms in Anambra has adequate capacity to produce and supply sorghum from next year. The Anambra state Governor, Willie Obiano disclosed this during an inspection visit to Intafact Beverages, Onitsha, to review progress made so far in the company in which Anambra state is a shareholder. During the inspection, the Governor expressed satisfaction with the growth of the company as they inspected various departments of the plant. Addressing the press after a private meeting with the administrative officials of the company, Mr Obiano said his administration will continue to create the enabling environment and framework that will continue to support investors while creating opportunities for the people of the state to drive the economy forward with a win-win situation for all. Responding to the visit of the governor, the General Manager of Intafact Beverages, Mr. Lukas Van-Daventer,...

Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m quartet has been disqualified from Rio 2016 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Nigeria’s medals prospect in the track and field of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, diminished by one when Tosin Adeloye, a member of the team, tested positive to banned substance at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Super Grand Prix/Warri Relays which took place in Warri, Delta state, on July 24, 2015. The quarter miler, who has now been banned for eight years, was a member of the Nigerian quartet that placed fourth at the IAAF World Championship in Beijing in August 2015.

A former Chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has vowed to continue making fresh allegations against the four principal officers until they were prosecuted. In his latest question, which he numbered 21, Jibrin accused the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, allegedly “diverted” a Federal Government water project to his farm in Nasarawa State. “Allegation no 21 to Mr. Speaker: why did you fraudulently divert a Federal Government water project to your farm in Nasarawa State? How are you funding the farm?” he asked on his twitter handle. Jibrin, who called himself an “accidental activist,” boasted that his dream was to reform the entire National Assembly, starting with the House. He explained, “When a new speaker emerges and the other principal officers replaced, I will write to the presiding officers of both chambers to commence a radical internal reform in the entire National Assembly beyond budget to cover performance assessment, running cost and...

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised that the Federal Government and its partners would not rest on their oars but continue to provide the needed resources to achieve total polio eradication by 2017. He said this as Nigeria marks two years without any outbreak of the wild polio virus on the 24th of July, 2016. Nigeria was on July 2015 removed from the list of polio-endemic countries by the World Health Organization, leaving only Afghanistan and Pakistan in list that had 125 in 1988. In a joint statement between the Nigerian government and its partners issued in Abuja, Buhari said: “This is a historic moment that has brought Africa and the world the closest it has ever been to eradicating this devastating disease. But our job is not yet done. We must protect the gains we have made and stay on course to tackle the challenges that remain in eliminating polio for good.” Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, said government is building resilience by “getting people out...

The management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos on Friday has said contrary to as reported by the media (not Daily Times), LUTH  did not refer Miss Mayowa Ahmed overseas. Earlier, it was alleged that the #SaveMayowa fund raising campaign, to raise about N32million for Miss Ahmed, an ovarian cancer patient on admission at LUTH is a scam as her case is beyond treatment. The statement of LUTH management reads: “Miss Mayowa Ahmed is an old patient of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital who has been on treatment for another condition. This 31year-old lady came into the Private Wing of LUTH on Monday, 25th July, 2016 with a history and clinical features of an intra-abdominal mass. The family and the patient brought along some results of laboratory investigations ordered and done from outside LUTH. Three different Specialists were invited to review Mayowa. The Gynaecologist, Oncologist and Haematologist all arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdo...

Tears flowed freely on Friday as the remains of former Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, were laid to rest in his family home in Illah community, Delta State. Keshi, who hailed from Illah in Oshimili North Local Government of Delta, died in June in Benin City, the capital of Edo. The body of the ex-captain of the national football team was interred at about 2.20 p.m. amid tears, wailing and lamentation by family members, colleagues and friends. The burial was preceded by a funeral Mass conducted at the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Illah. In a sermon, the parish priest, Rev. Father Dennis Arinze, reminded the people that death was an inevitable end for all mortals. Arinze was, however, quick to add that death was not the end for those who believed and lived in Christ. The Catholic priest described as painful, the passing away of Keshi who, he said, had yet to recover from the sudden death of his beloved wife who passed on last December. “Gathering here today for the ...

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti has warned voters in Ondo not to vote for the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming governorship election, insisting the party was not a good option for people of the state. He advised the people to ensure the ruling Peoples Democratic Party retain the governorship seat after Governor Olusegun Mimiko. Fayose who spoke on a radio programme in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, said the APC government had failed the people of Nigeria in the last one year of its rule. He advised voters in the state not to support any candidate presented by the APC. He said, “Don’t let me deceive you my people in Ondo State, don’t allow the APC to take over this state, if you allowed them, your condition would be worse than what you are passing through now, their government  would be a disaster for you. “They have nothing to offer, all they know is propaganda, you can see what is happening in Nigeria now, if you vote for them what they are doing at the national leve...

A Federal Court in Brazil has ordered the trial of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for obstruction of justice. The trial was pronounced in a ruling on a case linked to the scandal at the state oil company Petrobras. Lula, who was President from 2003 to 2011, was accused of hindering Operation Car Wash, the inquiry into the multi-billion-dollar company. He has denied committing any offence. Mr Lula was earlier detained and brought in for questioning in March, when Federal Police agents stormed his residence.

Pope Francis has urged hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in Poland to show compassion for migrants. He told young people gathered in Krakow that “a merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants”. But analysts say this statement puts him at odds with Poland’s anti-immigrant right-wing government. It is Pope Francis’s first visit to Eastern Europe, with Poland being the home of the late Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis has also offered a private prayer at the former Auschwitz Death camp. He walked alone and in silence around the concentration and extermination camp in what was nazi-occupied Poland where 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed. The Pope later met elderly survivors of the camp, kissing them on the cheeks and speaking to them softly.

The Syrian Jabhat al-Nusra, otherwise called Nusra Front says it has split from the al-Qaeda group, spurring suggestions it might be trying to join the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. In a video message posted online, the Leader of the jihadist group, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said that the group would be known by its new name, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham which means ‘front for the conquest of Syria’. Al-Julani explained that the purpose of the move was to eliminate the ploy used by powers. Analysts say the Nusra Front decided to re-brand itself after the US and Russia stepped up military efforts against its activities. Last week, US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, agreed to take what they called ‘concrete steps’, to tackle jihadist groups like the Nusra Front and the IS. Both have been listed as terrorist organisations.

President of the United States, Barack Obama, has urged the people of America to sustain his legacy by carrying Hillary Clinton to victory at the November elections. Speaking at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, President Obama lauded Mrs Clinton as the most qualified aspirant ever to run for the White House. He said that the electorates faced a choice between hope and fear, attacking “home-grown demagogue” Republican, Mr Donald Trump. Mr Obama recalled his crucial achievements as America’s President since the past eight years and hoped for a bright future. He praised Mrs Clinton’s character, painting her a “leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American”. The US President, who also described his nation as “full of courage” as well as “decent and generous”, expressed concerned about racial divisions and “frustrated with political gridlock”. The Republican candidate, Trump ...

Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has recommended intelligence sharing as the best way to tackle the security issues in the Niger Delta region. Governor Okowa made this observation on Friday at the Government House in Asaba when he received the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie. He expressed sadness over the activities of militants in the creeks affecting revenues accruable to the government at both federal and state levels. On his part, Rear Admiral Okojie said that they had the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to secure the waters in the Niger Delta region against security and economic threats. He explained further that the directive covers some parts of Ondo, Edo and Akwa Ibom states, as well as the entire Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states. The Naval officer assured the Governor that the Operation Delta Safe is prepared to tackle any criminal action within the Nigerian maritime area. He also urged the militants with...

The remains of former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has finally been laid to rest in his hometown, Illah Delta State. Members of Keshi’s family, ex-internationals, officials of Delta State government and friends witnessed the final burial rites of the late football icon. Keshi died on June 8 in Benin City at the age of 54. Meanwhile Stephen Keshi’s former colleagues are still reeling from his demise. Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai said Keshi was a great pillar that Nigerian football leaned on His former assistant, Valeri Hondonou wants his name immortalized while Dayo Enebi spoke of his love for everyone

The Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives says that there is no breach in the appropriation process to warrant any external interference. The Deputy Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Representative Chris Azugbogu, made the disclosure to journalists during a briefing on Friday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. “We wish to state that we totally dissociate ourselves from all the calculated plot to pull down the integrity of the leadership and members of the 8th House of Representatives,’’ Azubuogu said. The lawmaker claimed that the former Chairman of the committee, Representative Abdulmumin Jibrin, allotted all decisions of the committee to himself without conferring with its members. “He unilaterally took the entire budget to a hideout with his consultant without the consent of the committee. “That was the last time the committee saw the budget, only for Jubrin to resurface about three weeks later, with a report purported to have come from the ...

Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, has described his appointment as the Captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympic Games as overwhelming. 29-year old Mikel said this is highest accolade a sportsman‎ can get. “First and foremost, I will say I am overwhelmed with this opportunity to be the captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics. “I am much pleased and very happy with myself for what I have been able to achieve, and grateful to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports and the entire country for this opportunity,” he said on the Nigeria Football Federation website. The Africa Cup of Nations gold medalist promised to carry everyone along and ensure that Team Nigeria’s performance is better than previous Olympic outings. He also called on Nigerians to support the team and wish the players and officials well. “My objective is definitely going to be to carry everyone along. “I think it’s important that we all work together, it’s important that we all set one goal, and that g...

Funeral rites for former Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi has begun with a requiem mass at St. Paul Anglican Church in Benin City, the Edo State capital. Reverend Father Richard Ofere, during his sermon said that death is not the end of life for a good Christian rather it is a passage to eternal glory. There was a lying-in-state ceremony which was followed by a novelty match involving football veterans at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, witnessed by family, friends and the public. Present at the ceremony is a delegation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by its President, Amaju Pinnick. Former team mates of the late football strategist, including Austin Eguavoen, Peter Rufai, Mutiu Adepoju and Uche Okechukwu were also present. Former Super Eagles coach, Fanny Amun, used the occasion to demand adequate compensation for national service. Stephen Keshi passed on at the age of 54 in the early hours of Wednesday, June 8 in Benin City, the Edo State capital in south...

Ahead of the new Premier league season, new Chelsea Manager, Antonio Conte has urged his players to maintain the aggression and high intensity of football shown in pre-season. This comes after a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the International Champions Cup (ICC) where Chelsea Midfielder Cesc Fabregas was given a straight red card for a rash challenge on Liverpool Defender, Ragnar Klavan and 6 other players where cautioned. “I like my teams to be aggressive and I like if my team plays with great aggression and high intensity. We train to prepare for that because I want that my team has an identity,” Conte told Eurosport. “I always gave an identity to my teams. I am searching to transfer this to my players. I am pleased because I see a great attitude. I want to continue in this way because this is the only way to come back very soon for the title. “Not to speak, but actions. Now is not the moment to talk.” Chelsea meet European Champions, Real Madrid on Saturday and end thei...

Manchester United midfielder, Bastian Schweinsteiger, has announced that he would like to retire from the German National Team after 12 years of service. He stated this in an Open letter, posted on the Die Mannshaft website on Friday. “I have recently asked the coach to not nominate me for the national team anymore because I would like to retire,” he stated. “I was allowed to collect 120 caps for my country and I lived some moments which have been indescribably beautiful and successful. “Jogi Low knew how much Euro 2016 in France meant to me because I really wanted to win that title we have not been able to win since 1996. “It was not meant to be, I have to accept that. “By winning the World Cup in 2014 we achieved something on a historic and emotional level that I cannot reproduce in my career. “That’s why it is right and reasonable to finish it and to wish the team all the best for the qualification for the 2018 World Cup. “With this decision I leave the national ...

A quick response team of the Airport Fire and Rescue Services Department has averted a fire incident at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA) in Lagos, southwest Nigeria. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) made the incident public in a statement by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Yakubu Dati. FAAN says that the incident, which occurred at the E-Wing did not affect flight operations. The agency apologised to all travellers and airport users for the inconveniences caused and assured them of their safety and security. “Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire emanated from the electrical control panel. “Our engineers who have restored power at affected areas are working round the clock to restore normalcy. “Members of the public are therefore advised to disregard nay-sayers who may want to exploit the situation to create unnecessary panic,” FAAN said. The statement disclosed that the incident occurred on Thursday, July 28 at abou...

Troops returning from Bama on humanitarian escort duty, were ambushed enroute Maiduguri by suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri. The Nigerian troops however, successfully cleared the ambush and exploited up to Afunori. According to Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, two soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the ambush, among whom were staff of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian organizations. The wounded have been evacuated to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri and they are in stable condition. “The Nigerian Army wishes to sympathize with our wounded colleagues, the United Nations and other Non-governmental organizations whose personnel were also injured in this sad incident. “We wish to reiterate our determination and commitment to ensuring safety and security in the North East and safeguarding the lives of all persons,” Colonel Usm...

International humanitarian aid has been suspended in northeast Nigeria after militants ambushed the convoy of aid personnel working with UNICEF, UNFPA and IOM. The United Nations says the aid mission to Bama, in Borno State is temporarily suspended until a review of the security situation is complete. The convoy was said to be travelling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State, returning from delivering desperately needed humanitarian assistance in the area. A statement from the military confirming the incident says troops on humanitarian escort duty, were ambushed en route Maiduguri by suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in Meleri village. According to the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, the insurgents were successfully cleared but two soldiers and three civilians were injured. He added that the wounded had been evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri and were in stable condition.

As part of efforts to stem the tide of corruption through speedy trial of suspects, the federal government has developed a national policy on prosecution. The Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, announced the new policy at a meeting of attorney generals in Abuja where they converged from the 36 states of the federation to discuss how to improve the justice sector. Mr Malami said that the adoption and implementation of the policy by state authorities will fast-track the prosecution of corruption and criminal cases. The Minister appealed to states to accept the federal government’s vision of tackling corruption by establishing special anti-corruption units. He advocated the restoration of public confidence in the justice sector through the speedy prosecution of cases. The Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cristina Albertin, also outlined the role of prosecutors in the fight against corruption. At a separate meeting on the L...

The Kaduna Police command in North West Nigeria has arrested 22 suspects for committing various offences ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping and car snatching. Parading the suspects at the command Headquarters, the State Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Lemu, said that the suspects were arrested at various locations in the state following a major operation by his men. Addressing reporters, Lemu who just resumed as Commissioner of Police at the command, explained that five among the suspects were a 5-man kidnap gang that had been terrorizing motorists along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and another gang that specialized in car snatching. Items recovered from the suspects, according to the Commissioner include, arms and ammunitions, four stolen vehicles among other exhibits. On the increasing rate of kidnapping in the state, the Police Commissioner gave the assurance that more of his men have been deployed to all flashpoints in order to arrest perpetrators of such criminal a...