The false narratives of ethnic agitations and how to stop them

Let me say how honoured I am first to share this platform today with General Yakubu Gowon who is rightly described as a living symbol of Nigerian unity. But I believe that his greatness lies in his policy of ‘no victor no vanquished’ when he began the process of healing a nation, bruised, damaged and embittered by a 3-year civil war. There is no question at all that great leadership comes from some sort of self-sacrifice, great leadership comes from some sort of compassion. I want to thank General Yakubu…

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NNPC, Shell, Chevron agree to boost FG revenue, oil reserves

Two sets of alternative financing agreements on Joint Venture (JV) projects to boost reserves and production in line with government’s aspiration were executed in London on Monday between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and two of its JV partners: NNPC/Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) JV and NNPC/Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) JV. The two projects are expected to generate incremental revenues of about $16billion within the assets’ life cycle including a flurry of exploratory activities that would generate employment opportunities in the industry, boost gas supply to power and rejuvenate…

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About Nigeria’s confidence in the military

It is time for every Nigerian to consciously resolve to stand up to support the Nigerian military in the counter-insurgency war. The time has come to collectively save Nigeria. It is a collective responsibility. What has kept sustaining splashes of terror attacks in the Northeast is the retrogressive feeling by some people that the job of fighting Boko Haram is exclusively for the military. But it means much more than such simplistic inclinations. Quite unfortunately, the hearts of patriotic Nigerians bled when perusing the comments on the July Boko Haram…

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Nigerian banks start to offer naira quotes on screens, to draw dollars

Nigerian banks have started showing investors price quotes for the country’s currency, the naira, on screens instead of giving them by phone, traders said. The move is part of an effort to draw dollars back to the ailing Nigerian economy, which has been short of dollars since the price of crude oil, the main source of hard currency, plunged three years ago. The central bank hopes the move will further narrow the spread between the official and black market rates by attracting more investment with higher transparency, traders said. Market…

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Keeping dogs, cats as pets unethical: Scientists

Do you own dogs or cats as pets? Scientists are urging you to have a rethink as you may be doing something unethical by denying the animals some emotions and their full autonomy. A recent research into animals emotional lives has cast doubts on the ethics of pet-keeping, according to the findings published by the British newspaper,The Guardian. The research revealed that the emotional lives of animals, even relatively “simple” animals such as goldfish, are far more complex and rich than we once thought. “Rats have a sense of empathy…

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Trump backs drastic changes to legal immigration

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threw his weight behind efforts to give English-speakers priority for US residency cards and halving the number of legal migrants admitted to the country. Trump backed proposals that would reform the process of obtaining a US “green card” by introducing a points-based system favouring skilled anglophone workers. Around one million immigrants are granted permanent residency each year, but the draft legislation – presented at the White House by Trump and two senators who crafted it – aims to cut that number by around 50…

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We’re not receiving pensions as ex-govs – ministers

Three former governors in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet have said that they are not receiving pensions from their state governments. The ministers are Babatunde Fashola (Power, Works and Housing); Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment) and Kayode Fayemi (Mines and Steel Development). Fashola, a former governor of Lagos State, said he did not receive any pension from Lagos State. According to his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Hakeem Bello, the minister recently made it clear that he (Fashola) had no reason to ask the Lagos State Government to stop paying him…

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Arsène Wenger says Neymar transfer is ‘beyond calculation and rationality’

• Wernger claims £198m deal is result of when ‘a country owns a club’ • Arsenal manager says Alexis Sánchez ‘will stay and he will respect that’ Arsène Wenger has described Neymar’s impending £198m transfer from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain as “beyond calculation and beyond rationality”, as he declared the deal to be the consequence of when “a country owns a club”. PSG have been owned by Qatar since 2011, when Qatar Sports Investments became their majority shareholder, and they have made their clout felt in the transfer market. The move for Neymar, though, has…

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Oil, gas communities assure returning oil companies of adequate security

Oil and Gas Producing host communities in Nigeria (HOSTCOM) say they will ensure the provision of enabling environment for the resumed operation of international and national oil companies in the Niger-Delta region. The National Chairman of HOSTCOM, Dr Mike Emuh, said this in an interview with NAN in Abuja on Thursday. The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had directed the international Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the Niger-Delta region to relocate their headquarters to their states of operations, based on provision of the Local Content Act. Emuh said that the…

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Charly Boy, AGN eulogize Fela 20 years after

Entertainment maverick Charly Boy and the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), on Wednesday eulogised late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, exactly two decades after his demise. Charly Boy described the late Fela as “unequalled legend who preached against corruption, injustice and other societal ills. “The truth is Fela never dies; he lives on with his music. “What Fela stood against across Africa, and Nigeria in particular, that made many to call him a mad man, are still very much our problems today. “He talked about suffering and smiling, corruption, and…

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