POWER FAILURE DISRUPTS SENATE'S POWER PROBE.

The ongoing probe of the power sector from 1999 till date by the Senate ad hoc committee was characterized by drama and confusion yesterday, as the proceeding was disrupted by power failure eight times.

Yesterday’s proceeding started at about 11:30a.m. and ended abruptly at 4p.m. due to about 15 minutes of power failure at intervals, for eight different times, from 2p.m. when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, was making a submission on behalf of the various electricity companies.

The situation forced operators from the power sector to make use of their phone light and video camera light to make presentation before the committee.

SIX FAMILY MEMBERS CONSUMED BY FIRE IN LAGOS AS NEIGHBOURS ARE ACCUSED OF IGNORING CALLS FOR HELP.

Tragedy struck  yesterday after a family of seven were roasted in a fire that engulfed a building at Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos.

However, doctors at the Intensive Care Unit  of  Gbagada General Hospital are  battling to save the life of the  seventh member of the family,  eight-year-old Chidinma who sustained serious burns.

Among those who lost their lives in the inferno, whose cause could not be immediately ascertained, were Mr. Kelechi Ali, his wife, Nkiru,  Onoja, their baby boy  of about three weeks old, their son, Favour, of about three years old.

HOPES OF FINDING CHIBOK GIRLS ARE SLIM, THEY HAVE BEEN DISPERSED & MARRIED OFF - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

More than 513 days after the abduction of the Chibok Secondary School girls in Borno State, hopes of rescuing the girls en bloc vaporized as President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, disclosed that they have been dispersed and some of them, especially Christians, married off against their faith.

President Buhari made the comments in an interview on BBC Hausa service on Tuesday.

Asked if he received any information about the whereabouts of the kidnapped Chibok girls, he said: “They (Boko Haram insurgents) have scattered them, and (they) are being guarded at dispersed locations. Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. The sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained.

ANOTHER ELECTROCUTION IN LAGOS - TRAILER DRIVER DIES AFTER HIS VEHICLE MADE CONTACT WITH HIGH TENSION CABLE.

Barely 24hrs after a 300L student of the University of Lagos lost her life in the school premises when she was electrocuted, a yet-to-be-identified truck driver on Wednesday morning got electrocuted after his trailer hit a high tension wire while trying to enter the Jakande Estate, in the Isolo area of Lagos.

Residents of the area, who spoke with our correspondent, said the incident happened around 8am.

Commercial activities were grounded in the area as residents, commercial motorcyclists and traders besieged the scene of the accident.

(VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS) NIGERIA 2 GHANA 0. (2015 ALL AFRICAN GAMES).

NIG 2 GHA 0

UNILAG STUDENTS SHUT DOWN CAMPUS OVER CONTINUED LECTURES DESPITE DEATH OF STUDENT WHO WAS ELECTROCUTED.

Students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) this morning shut down their campus in protest against continued lectures despite death of a female student "Oluchi Anekwe" from a fallen high voltage cable on the campus. 

The students particularly were angered by a statement allegedly made by one lecturer identified as Mr. Ajape, who is the course adviser to the deceased. Ajape was said to have advised the rest students this morning to forget the dead and move on. One student from the department of accounting quoted Ajape saying; "She's dead and gone". The protesters said they considered the statement "reckless, insensitive and a total disregard for life". 

OBASANJO, YARADUA AND JONATHAN SPENT A WHOOPING N2.74TR ON POWER IN 16YRS.

The Senate was told, yesterday, that the Federal Government has invested a N2.74 trillion in Nigeria’s power sector over the last 16 years (1999 to date).

The investments were made during the regimes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo; his successor, late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, and the Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, Mr. James Olotu, disclosed this before a Senate Ad-hoc Committee probing the power sector from 1999 till date.

Furthermore, Olotu revealed that contrary to popular belief, the National Integrated Power Projects, NIPPs, which gulped about $8.23 billion or N1.64 trillion were actually being funded from the Excess Crude Account, rather than from ministerial provisions.

ARMY ARREST BOKO HARAM FUEL & DRUG SUPPLIER;.

Following the directives by the Army Headquarters to troops in the North East for a painstaking search of motorists and cargoes, troops of the 3 Division Nigerian Army have intercepted and arrested some kingpins and foot soldiers of suppliers of Boko Haram terrorists with hard drugs and other stimulants. 

A statement signed by Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said the terrorists were arrested between Depchi and Geidam, in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The statement added that the arrested persons were also engaged in the supply of fuel in addition to hard drugs such as Cannabis (Indian Hemp), Chlorofone substance (AKA Madaran suck and die) and Tramol, amongst others.

SOLDIERS SET TO REPLACE MILITANTS IN PROTECTING OIL PIPELINES.

The men of the Nigerian military are to take over the security of the nation’s oil pipelines.

The Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, who said in a statement on Tuesday, added that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, met with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, on how to work out modalities to get the military to protect the strategic national assets.

He quoted the NNPC’s GMD as having said that he visited the CDS as a follow up to a proposal the corporation presented to President Muhammadu Buhari, to have the Army Corps of Engineering to maintain and secure the nation’s pipelines.

EDO STATE GOVERNOR ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE SACKS 4 COMMISSIONERS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has terminated the appointment of four commissioners in the State Executive Council.

According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, on Wednesday, those affected ‎included the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Chief Lucky James; and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Blessing Maigida.

Others are the Commissioner for ‎Basic Education, Mr. Patrick Aguinede; and the Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources, Mr. Chris Ebare.

FIRST YEAR REMEMBRANCE OF MY LATE FATHER, BARRISTER FELIX ODUSANYA DINA.

The 9th day of September 2014 remains a very sad day. The unexpected struck and it was a massive blow. I lost my father to the cold hands of death.

How could a man who was so full of life die after just 2 days of illness? I had heard about these things, seen it in movies, but I never imagined such would be part of my family's history. 

How could a man who toiled and laboured for many years to provide for the needs of his nuclear and extended family die when he was supposed to be enjoying the fruits of his labour?

18-YR-OLD STUDENT REMANDED IN PRISON FOR RAPING 6-YR-OLD GIRL. #SAYNOTORAPE.

A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court in Benue on Tuesday remanded an 18-year old student, Clement Odike, in prison for alleged rape of a six-year-old girl.

The Prosecutor, Insp James Zungwe, told the court that the mother of the victim reported the matter at the ‘D’ Division Police Station in Makurdi on August 25.

The prosecutor alleged that the accused, who resides behind St. Augustine Catholic Church, Demekpe, Makurdi, dragged the victim into the bush.

FOUR ARRAIGNED FOR KIDNAPPING 9 POLICEMEN.

The police have arraigned four men who allegedly kidnapped nine policemen on May 24, 2014, at the Arepo area of Ogun State.

The accused, who were on Tuesday arraigned on 10 counts of terrorism, include one Sgt. Akowe Jacob, 41 years old.

Others were 36-year-old Godwin German, Tamarami Tunwa, 23, and Mayibi Hazeez, 29.

The prosecutor, Mr. Raymon Odion, listed the kidnapped policemen as ASP Abdullahi Bature; Inspector Raymond Oriere; Inspector Usman Muhammed; Inspector Oguntimehin Kolawole and Inspector Tijani Jimoh.

TRUCK DRIVERS DEFY LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT ORDERS ON MOVEMENT RESTRICTION.

Truck drivers have yet to comply with the Lagos State government’s order, restricting movement of trailers and long vehicles on roads between 6am and 9pm.

Barely 24 hours after the government directed the drivers to fully comply with the directive, they were sighted in almost all parts of the state on Monday, plying roads during the forbidden hours.

Places, such as Oshodi, Apapa, Agege, Iyana Ipaja, Ojodu-Berger, are among the areas, plied by the drivers on Monday without sanction.

I NEVER COLLECTED ANY MONEY FROM JONATHAN SAYS OPC FOUNDER FREDERICK FASEHUN.

The National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, says he and members of his party never received money from former President Goodluck Jonathan during the electioneering.

Fasehun, who is also the founder of pan-Yoruba group, Oodua People’s Congress, was one of Jonathan’s ardent supporters in the run up to the election.

The All Progressives Congress had accused the UPN of being an appendage of the Peoples Democratic Party. Interestingly, the UPN supported Jonathan and the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, during the last elections.

THE LIMBO QUEEN BREAKS YET ANOTHER RECORD.

A talented teen who set a world skating record when she was just 11-years-old is known as the 'limbo queen' thanks to her ability to glide under a limbo while doing splits. 

Kaitlyn Conner, 19, from Blue Springs in Missouri, set a world record for the longest backwards limbo skating in 2008 - rolling under 23 limbo bars spread over 12 feet.

Starting out at just a toddler at Watson's Rolladium SK8 Centre - the very same rink where her mother Victtoria skated as a child - Kaitlyn's passion for skating grew, and she by the time she was just four-and-a-half, the talented teen had already perfected her roller limbo technique.

MINISTERS WILL BE NAMED THIS MONTH - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, dismissed insinuations of his plans to defer the formation of a cabinet, as he insisted that his ministerial nominees would be unveiled this month.

Speaking in Aburi, Ghana, the President also reassured Nigerians and the international community that the Boko Haram insurgency was being brought to its knees with the confinement of the insurgents to Sambisa Forest.

The President spoke at a joint press conference with his host, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, who also disclosed that both countries had worked out strategies to jointly stem corruption.

BAYELSA ELECTIONS - EX-PRESIDENT JONATHAN ENDORSES GOV SERIAKE DICKSON FOR 2ND TERM.

Former  President Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson for a second term, citing his excellent track record of regular payment of workers’ salaries, reduction of the state’s huge debt profile and infrastructural development.

The former President who received Governor Dickson at his country home, Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, said his endorsement was based on the developmental strides of the governor in the last three and half years in the state.

He said: “If Bayelsa is compared to other states in the country in terms of level of physical infrastructure coupled with the degree of indebtedness in terms of bank loans and capital market, Dickson deserved to be praised.

BUHARI'S FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE.

The first one hundred days have just passed since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office to run the affairs of the country for the next four years. Even though Presidency and All Progressives Congress (APC) sources have played down the first hundred days as a period to take a measure of their new administration, we believe that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a step in the right direction to reach the destination on schedule.

We are gratified to note that the personality and charisma of President Buhari has brought new impetus and esteem to the Presidency both at home and abroad. His image as a man of integrity, as well as his credibility to fight corruption has made many government officials to sit up. Government appears to be working better than before, and we hope this will become a permanent feature of governance in Nigeria.

I HAVE DECLARED MY ASSETS FOUR TIMES SINCE 1977 - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday told journalists in Accra, Ghana, that he had declared his assets four times since 1975 and challenged the newsmen to investigate the details of his possession.

Buhari asked journalists to use the required law to dig up the records of his four separate asset declarations.

He said, “I recall that in 1975 when late Murtala Mohammed became the Head of State, we were lined up in the corridor – governors, ministers, members of the Supreme Military Council – and officials of the Ministry of Justice were brought and every individual was made to declare his assets.