THE Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme said on Tuesday that it had expended the sum of N80 billion on the East-West Road project. SURE-P Chairman, General Martin-Luther Agwai, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, explained that the amount was spent towards the completion of the project  since 2012 when SURE-P entered into a partnership with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. Agwai, who had earlier inspected the East-West Road, added that the project had reached 82 percent completion. According to him, the Federal Government attaches much importance to the dualisation of the road being a major trunk outlet for the transportation of petroleum products from Port Harcourt and Warri refineries to other parts of the country. Agwai also disclosed that contract for the upgrading of Port Harcourt-Eleme Junction Flyover to Onne Junction (15 kilometres), to three-carriageway had been awarded. He added that another contract had been signed...

Posted by the Editor The National Executive Co-ordinator of Life Savers Foundation,  a Non-Governmental Organisation,  Mrs. Fola Shoetan, has described as unsatisfactory the approach of the officials of the National Emergency Management Agency  and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency to the September 12 Synagogue Church Of All Nation’s building collapse. Shoetan called for better training and re-orientation for the officials of NEMA and LASEMA, who she accused of closing daily at 10.30pm and resuming at 9am “even when it was obvious that there were several dying victims still  trapped under the rubbles.” She described as insincere the claim by the General Manager of LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, that officials of the  agency were on ground 24 hours spearheading the rescue operations. Shoetan also said that the government statutory responders to emergencies came ill-equipped for the task and were completely clueless about how to appr...

Ejeh; Grace | The couple that was tortured by a police corporal attached to the Ikoyi Police Division has perfected plans to sue the police for N100m damages. A lawyer with the Femi Falana Chamber, Austin Audu, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the matter would be taken to court on Monday. PUNC H Metro had reported how Ejeh Smith and his wife, Grace, were on their way home in a cab around Lekki area of Lagos State, when a police corporal, Dada Ogunsanya, stopped the driver. Our correspondent reported that after conducting a routine check on the cab and the driving licence of the driver, Ogunsanya beamed his torch on the passengers. ADVERTISEMENT They were said to have protested the action, saying the inner lights of the cab were on and there was no need for the action. In the ensuing argument, which degenerated to a scuffle, Ogunsanya, allegedly tortured the couple by hitting Ejeh in the eye with the butt of his rifle and stepping on his wife’...

Posted by the General Editor  The Redeemed Christian Church of God has dissociated itself from rumours making the rounds that its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, gave his blessings to the vice-presidential ambition of a former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. The All Progressives Congress had on Wednesday named Osinbajo, who is said to be Adeboye’s close ally, as the running mate of its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). The RCCG denied celebrating the emergence of the law professor who pastors its Olive Parish located on Banana Island, Lagos. Writing on its official Twitter page on Wednesday, the church said it does not dabble into politics in any shade or colouration. ADVERTISEMENT “We are a mission and we do not meddle in politics,” the RCCG stated while urging Nigerians to be wary of fictitious and misleading social media accounts dragging its name into the murky waters of p...

Posted by editor (Dagbladet): The picture shows the former Norwegian missile torpedo boat KNM “Eaters” on pirate hunting along the Bonny River in Nigeria around August. Now the vessel is called “Oglakirigha” and is equipped with two modern Oerlikon 20 millimeter machine guns that can fire up to 1,000 grenades per minute. On the foredeck also seems a Russian machine gun. Warriors in full combat gear keeps lookout on deck. (By The Paradigm, Lagos), More details have emerged into how former Nigerian Warlord and Militant, Government “Tompolo” Ekpemupolo acquired at least, seven warships from the Norwegian Armed Forces. Of interest in the new revelations is the role played by two new generation Nigerian banks. Mid-last year, the duo of Skye Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), masquerading for Ex militant Tompolo, visited Norway to inspect the warship to be purchased by the warlord. Before the money could be wired and tran...

Posted by editor Former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND) High Chief Government Ekpemupolo has raised the alarm that politicians are out to tarnish his image as the 2015 election approaches even though he is not a politician. The former Niger Delta militant, otherwise known as Tompolo was reacting to media reports that he had acquired some gunboats from the Norwegian government with the assistance of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) ostensibly for the policing of the nation’s waterways. Tompolo who spoke through his spokesman, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo not only exonerated himself but insisted that the latest onsalught was masterminded by some Niger Delta ethnic chauvinists.

Posted by editor The former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) was recently alleged to have acquired four warships. The acquisition has also raised fears among ethnicities in the Niger Delta area. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) regards this information as disturbing. Coming at the peak of electioneering excitement, a rumour like the acquisition of deadly weapons by a militant leader must be taken seriously by security conscious Nigerians. The fear about such acquisition is heightened by earlier threats coming from Niger Delta militants to the effect that the latter would attack the rest of the country if President Jonathan fails to clinch a second term ticket. There must be apprehension if a witch cried yesterday and a child dies today.