Ukeme Eyibio's Blogosphere

Having depreciated in value to N500 to the dollar at the parallel market, the value of the naira appreciated to N498 to the dollar, the value it had been trading for weeks or weeks, even as external reserves rose to $28.28 billion the highest in the year highest in a year. The naira however remained stable at N305.25 to the dollar at the interbank market, on the website of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators; the naira was quoted at N315.38 to the dollar. Demand for the greenback grew and the Central Bank of Nigeria rationed dollar supply, having sold $660 million in 3- and 5- month currency forwards at an auction aimed at clearing a backlog of dollar demand. Traders however said the dollar sale was not enough to satisfy the market. Data on the website of the apex bank showed that the nation’s external reserves has risen by 7.89 per cent since the beginning of the year. Traders said while the apex bank has been selling dollars on the official market to support the naira,

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday urged the people of Ondo State to vote for Rotimi Akeredolu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the November 26, 2016 governorship election in the state. Mr. Buhari spoke at the grand finale of the governorship campaign of Mr. Akeredolu and his running mate, Ajayi Agboola. Earlier, he had met for about an hour with some members of the party who had contested the party primary but failed to be elected as the governorship candidate. Senate President Bukola Saraki, APC national chairman, John Odigie Oyegun, and some governors joined the president.  Conspicuously absent from the event, which took place at the Democracy Park in Akure, the state capital, were the APC’s national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and some southwest APC governors, including Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo. President Buhari told the campaign crowd that there was no turning back, adding that t

Aisha Buhari, Wife of Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari and her delegates at a health forum organized by the United Nations General Assembly UNGA in New York City, United States of America.

The four companies charged with money laundering, alongside a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, have pleaded guilty to the offence. The four companies pleaded guilty to conspiring with Dudafa; a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs; and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, to launder a sum of  $15,591,700 on or about November 13, 2013. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while arraigning the seven accused before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, told the court that the $15.6m was proceeds of theft. Though Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the amended 15 counts pressed against them by the EFCC, the four companies charged along with them owned up to committing the offence. The four companies pleaded guilty to conspiring with Dudafa and the two others to launder a sum of  $15,591,700 before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday. The companies are: Pluto Property and Investment Company L

One of the leading and  biggest airline operators in Nigeria, Arik Air, just announced suspension of services this evening,  this is coming on the heels of the present economic growth of the country. Earlier,  Aero Contractors Airlines another operator also suspended operations,  this is coming at the heels of incessant power outage a most international airports across the country with the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos  State being the most affected. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN, has issued a notice asking passengers to be calm,  as it is on the heels of the matter.

From our recent political history, few events have created more media buzz than when the 73-year old retired Army General, Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President  of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. As we gasp in shock and as the Buhari administration gasps for breath, Nigerians wonder what happened to the Chief-Agent-for-Change who toppled the Otuoke Corruption Czar, former President Goodluck Jonathan, 15 months ago in a rare democratic defeat of a ruling party that held power for 16 years. To see clearly is prophecy. More so, trying to revive a failed state like Nigeria is like hiking in the wilderness. You need to see far into the future. You need survival skills before you start the journey. So far, it is evident that Mr. Buhari was never prepared for the journey. Didn't see where he was headed. Many writers and critics offered free help to Mr. Buhari to enable him realize and appreciate that leadership position is not a spectator position. Volumes have been writt

Several political figures in the All Progressives Congress (APC) told SaharaReporters that there were serious apprehensions about former Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu of Lagos State who has not been seen in public for several weeks. Some of the politicians wondered whether the former governor had taken ill, noting that there were political challenges in the party’s south-west zone that they expected Mr. Tinubu to be on ground addressing. In the wake of their concerns, a source close to Mr. Tinubu told SaharaReporters that the former governor left Nigeria two weeks ago and flew to the United Kingdom for personal reasons. The source added that Mr. Tinubu was supposed to have returned a week later, but his whereabouts remain unknown to party apparatchiks. The APC leader’s aides did not initially return our correspondent’s phone calls and ignored text messages inquiring about his whereabouts and requesting to interview him. However, in a short text to SaharaReporters just before we went to

Unknown gunmen earlier today assassinated a former local government caretaker committee chairman of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Niyi Pirisola. A source who spoke to Reporters correspondent in a phone said Mr. Pirisola was "gunned down" in the early hours of Friday. "He was killed in the early hours of today (Friday) at about 3:00 am while returning from a branch of Celestial Church Of Christ at Ilutuntun in his hometown," the source said. Unknown gunmen earlier today assassinated a former local government caretaker committee chairman of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Niyi Pirisola. A source who spoke to Reporters correspondent in a phone said Mr. Pirisola was "gunned down" in the early hours of Friday. "He was killed in the early hours of today (Friday) at about 3:00 am while returning from a branch of Celestial Church Of Christ at Ilutu

An aide to the All Progressives Congress candidate in the concluded Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Elections Mr. Jonah Okah  has been arrested by the Nigerian Police Force over his status on Facebook. His crime was making comments regarding the arrest of Richie Etonye, The Chief Accountant of the Bayelsa State Government, on issues bothering on money laundering and his subsequent arrest.  Jonah,  before his arrest was an aide on social media to a past Governor of Bayelsa State Timipre Sylvia. Mr. Jonah was arrested earlier this morning at his residence in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital.  As you would recall his boss,  Timipre Sylvia contested the 2016 Bayelsa governorship elections under the umbrella of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ,  but lost to his major opponent of the People's Democratic Party. Calls put to the Public Relations Officer(PPRO)  of the state was not returned nor answered as the officer was said to be in a meeting.

Chairman of APC in Ondo State, Chief Isaac Kekemeke, has issued a statement saying that the party will not manipulate the process of the August 27 governorship primary in the state. He however said that he believes that election will be free and fair. It is believed that 23 governorship aspirants will participate in the primary with over 3000 delegates. He said, “As far as the forthcoming governorship primary in Ondo State is concerned, there is no basis for manipulation and there will be no imposition of candidate. It is the delegates (voters) that will speak and whoever the delegates pick becomes the candidate of the party. As the chairman of the party in Ondo State, I have no specific role to play in the conduct of the primary.” The chairman said the primary would be conducted by the leadership of the party at the national level without bias. He said, “I know that the leadership of our great party at the national level has put in place mechanism to ensure free and fair conduct of

The Inspector General of Police  has directed the Commissioner of Police,  FCT, Abuja to deploy mobile policemen to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja, venue of the planned protest by former bodyguards to President Muhammadu Buhari who participated during the 2015 presidential campaigns. The Spokesperson of the group of Presidential Bodyguards during the 2015 Presidential Election, Badiru Olabiyi Balogun, on Thursday gave a directive to his members to converge for a protest to the APC National Secretariat.  He further informed the media that his group will go ahead with the protest. He said, Two truck loads of mobile policemen have been deployed to our campaign office. They said the instruction was that they should not allow us access to the office and that the people outside should not be allowed to go in. So, we are meeting there by 9:00 am this morning. It was reported , that the same group,  last week had protested against their “exclusion”