#Story: 'We expect better economic outlook for the second half of the year' - Presidency

The Presidency says it expects a better economic outlook for Nigeria during this second half of the year. Read a statement released from the presidency below...

 The just released GDP figures for the 2016 second quarter by the National Bureau of Statistics while confirming a temporary decline, has also indicated an hopeful expectation in the country's economic trajectory.

Besides the growth recorded in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors, the Nigerian economy in response to the policies of the Buhari presidency is also doing better than what the IMF had estimated with clear indications that the second half of the year would be even much better.

The Buhari presidency will continue to work diligently on the economy and engage with all stakeholders to ensure that beneficial policy initiatives are actively pursued and the dividends delivered to the Nigerian people.

Donald Trump tweets again, blasts Clinton & promises to fix the African-American community!

Donald Trump went on Twitter on Thursday night to lash out at Hillary Clinton, labeling her a liar and also promised to help fix the African- American community. He needs to fix his mouth first before he can fix anything else. See more tweets after the cut...

#AndSo??: 'Removal of oil subsidy has saved FG N1.4tr' - VP Osinbajo says

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday disclosed that the removal of oil subsidy has saved the Federal government N1.4 trillion. He said this while speaking at the the 15th Joint Planning Board and National Council on Development meeting in Kano state.

 “With the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, there has been a significant increase in the availability of petrol throughout the country for the savings of N1.4 trillion on subsidy payments alone” he said

#Lobatan: 16 bitter truths Prof. Soludo told APC govt in Kaduna

Professor Charles Soludo, on Thursday in Kaduna State, took the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government, to the cleaners detailing what the government must do to take Nigeria to a progressive change.

 

Soludo spoke as a guest lecturer at Kaduna Progressive Governance lecture series with the theme: “Building the economy and developing inclusive sustainable growth.” 

 

Photos: Gov. Ambode at the 4th pregressive governance lecture series in Kaduna

 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode with Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, and Osun State Governor, with the Guest Lecturer & former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai  and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola during the 4th Progressive Governance Lecture Series  with the topic - Building the Economy of States: Challenge of Developing Inclusively Sustainable Growth,  in  Kaduna on Thursday, August 25, 2016.
 More photos after the cut....

Dog name palava: Pres. Buhari must be having a good laugh- Garba Shehu

 

Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, says President Buhari must be having a good laugh over the arrest and trial of Chinakwe Joachim Iroko who named his dog Buhari. Read what Garba shared on his facebook wall below...

IN and OUT #FPL #EPL #PremierLeague #FantasyFootball #Manager by @Acidbej

   

Matchday 2 was a memorable one for my FPL team with my Captain and VC scoring two goals each. 101points one of the highest points I have gathered all through my years on FPL. A perfect Matchday week never goes unstained with Arter getting sent off and costing me valuable points. Taking a look at players worth buying and selling for matchday 3

IN

   Everton players are perfect picks because of their juicy fixtures coming up over the next few weeks;Stoke (H), Sunderland (A), Middlesbrough (H), Bournemouth (A), Palace (H), Man City (A), Burnley (A) and West Ham (H). A regular starter and mostly an attacking player would rack in valuable points. Barkley and Mirallas have both started this season with a goal and assist in their first two games and now sit on on 15 and 13 points respectively. Barkley is 3rd on the form index on FPL (only behind Capoue and Coutinho), though you can possibly place him second give the injury to Capoue. Bolasie: New signing with a fresh start; explosive player though very unpredictable; worth a buy if he starts regularly. Given my little experience I went for Barry given his regular starting role and seldom assist and goals.

OUT

   Many still have Jamie Vardy on their team, but maybe it is time to lose the man, with little service given to him to even start with last season Vardy had a shot on goal every 28.6 minutes while this season he has only had a shot on goal every 47 minutes this season i.e less than 2 shots on goal in a match.Moreover, Vardy has only created 3 chances for his team mates and none of them have been a clear cut chance. One to think about selling.

#WhoSendYou: The worst job to do in Nigeria today is to be a state governor- Nasir El Rufai

Kaduna state governor, Nasir El Rufai, says that the worst job to do in Nigeria today is to be a state governor. According to El Rufai, state governors are presently dealing with unpaid salaries and other issues which they did not create. He said this today while speaking at the ongoing 4th APC Progressive governors lecture series in Kaduna state

"The worst job to do in Nigeria today is to be a state governor. We(governors) are dealing with problems we didn't create but we are to solve"he said

#Wawu: 'I handed over the best Nigerian government to Buhari' - GEJ says

In a recent statement, former president Jonathan said he handed over the best Nigerian government, and the largest economy in Africa to president Buhari. Read other things he said after the cut...

“I took over a Nigeria that was the second largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $270.5 billion in 2009, I handed over a Nigeria that had grown to become the largest economy in Africa and the 24th largest economy in the World, with a GDP of $574 billion.

Presidency reacts to reports of Buhari seeking emergency economic powers

Special Adviser to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, took to his twitter handle to make some clarifications on the reports of President Buhari proposing to seek emergency powers from the National Assembly members to revamp the dwindling economy.

#Ejooo: Pres. Buhari reacts to the killing of 8 people in Zamfara religious crisis

President Buhari this morning reacted to the killing of eight people in Zamfara following a religious crisis that broke out at the Abdu Gusau Polytechnic in Zamfara state yesterday August 22nd.  

 

A student is alleged to have made a blasphemous comment about Prophet Muhammad and was beaten to a pulp. He was rescued and rushed to the hospital by a man named Tajudeen. The angry Muslims stormed the home of Tajudeen and set it ablaze, killing eight occupants. 

English premier league Fantasy League Tipster #FPL #FantasyLeague #EPL by @Acidbej

English premier league Fantasy League Tipster #FPL #Matchday2 #FantasyLeague #EPL

   With the Fantasy premier league gaining wide popularity in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. The editor-in-chief and myself came up with a weekly forum on hints, tips and analysis on the highs and lows in the FPL market.

With my tradition of joining the league on matchday 2 and using a chip that same week to at the least catch up with more than half of the other players(hopefully it works again as always and I qualify for the cup after matchday17). The FPL column would take a look at potential transfers every week and best players to choose as captain and Vice Captain. Let's take a look at team selection for matchday 2.

Why the Desperation to Rope in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan? By Reno Omokri

This is an article written by Reno Omokri. Please read on...

The coordinated attack on the integrity and credibility of former President Goodluck Jonathan is unfortunate. That the same hastily cooked up lies were reported simultaneously and almost word for word by The Nation, saharareporters.com, premiumtimesng.com and other known client media of the powers that be is evidence of the fact that someone powerful is out to get the former President.

#Ahhhh: FG propose bill for Nigerians to pay 9% tax on calls, SMS, MMS, Data, others

Minister of Communication, Bayo Shittu, yesterday disclosed that the Federal government is proposing to introduce a bill called the Communication Service Tax CST bill which seeks to levy 9% on telecommunication subscribers for users of various communication services such as voice call, SMS, MMS, Data usage from telecommunication service providers, internet service providers and Pay TV Stations.

Speaking at a function organized by the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI yesterday, Shittu said the introduction of the new taxes without harmonising existing ones would put pressure on the country’s tax system thereby making it unattractive to investors.

According to him, the outcome of deliberations on the bill would form the basis of his advice to the President.

#Lobatan: Why APC wants PDP dead- Fayose

Ekiti State Governor. Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) wants the‎ Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dead because the APC does not want a virile opposition to challenge its obnoxious policies and inability to tackle the problems confronting the country.

Speaking in Port Harcourt on Wednesday on the sideline of the national convention of the PDP, Fayose said such a development would not, however, be in the interest of the country and Nigerians at large.

In a statement by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor was quoted as saying that a virile opposition was a vital ingredient for democracy and necessary to make democracy thrive.

#Lobatan: Polio back, Nigeria no longer the largest economy in Africa: this govt is a plague- FFK

 

He said this while reacting to news that two new cases of Polio disease have been recorded in Borno state. Read more after the cut...

#TellUs: Alleged budget padding: Those calling for my prosecution are ignorant of the law- Speaker Dogara says

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday said those who are calling for his prosecution following allegations of budget padding leveled against him by the sacked chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, are ignorant of legislative laws. Speaking at a civil society meeting in Abuja yesterday August 11th, Dogara said legislators are protected by the constitution when they are seen to be carrying out their legislative function. Dogara last week stated that budget padding isn't an offense.

#ExpandCapacity: Skills You need to thrive in the 4th Industrial Revolution

1.       Five years from now, over one-third of skills (35%) that are considered important in today’s workforce will have changed. #ExpandCapacity

2.       By 2020, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have brought us advanced robotics and autonomous transport... #ExpandCapacity

3.       ...artificial intelligence and machine learning, advanced materials, biotechnology and genomics. #ExpandCapacity

4.       These developments will transform the way we live, and the way we work. Some jobs will disappear, others will grow...#ExpandCapacity

5.       What is certain is that the future workforce will need to align its skillset to keep pace. #ExpandCapacity

6.       What skills will change most?

#Lobatan: Budget not padded - FG says

The Federal government has said that despite the ongoing allegations and counter-allegations of padding the 2016 budget by some members of the House of Representatives, it did not assent to a padded budget.
Speaking at the Abuja Town hall meeting yesterday August 9th, the Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udo Udoma said the budget that was signed by President Buhari on May 6th was well scrutinized and passed the due process of appropriation at the National Assembly.

“We did not assent to a padded budget. The budget followed through the various stages of preparation and scrutiny and appropriation before it was signed into law.’’‎he said

Reno Omokri replies comedian Basketmouth over his comment that Jonathan's govt put Nigeria in a septic tank

Yesterday, comedian Basketmouth took to his Social media handles to deny that he ever campaigned for the Buhari-led government. In his post (read here), Basketmouth said members of the Goodluck Jonathan administration put Nigeria in the septic tank we are currently in. He wrote;

#Chai: President Buhari and Speaker Yakubu Dogara in closed door meeting

President Buhari and Speaker Yakubu Dogara are currently having a closed door meeting at the state house Abuja. This meeting comes after allegations of budget padding has been leveled against Dogara and three other principal officers of the House of Representatives, by sacked Chairman of the House committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin. 

#AndWhatAreYouDoing : 'Jonathan failed to save for the rainy day'- President Buhari

President Buhari says despite the oil boom a few years ago, the past administration failed to save for the rainy day. According to The Nation, President Buhari said this while speaking at the opening of the 12th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) 2016 in Rivers state yesterday August 4th. He was represented by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

#Lobatan: Virtually every Nigerian is corrupt - Governor Ajimobi says

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi reacting to President Buhari’s war against corruption, told newsmen at the National Secretariat of the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC), Abuja that virtually every Nigerian is corrupt. He said:

“We are looking at corruption in a global per­spective as against just tak­ing money. If you look at it generally, you will see that virtually every Nigeria is corrupt, virtually everybody is corrupt in one way or the other either attitudinally, fi­nancially or socially, and this, we believe should be looked into.

#Chai: Speaker Dogara and his corrupt gang have gone mad- Abdulmumin Jibrin says

Former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin, shared some new tweets alleging that Speaker Yakubu Dogara and others have fabricated a screenshot (s) of a fake WhatsApp chat, with the intention of blackmailing him and sending it out to the Media. Jibrin debunkeded the authencity of the screenshot(s) and made more allegations. More tweets as you continue.

$25,000 Bribe: Speaker Dogara's Deputy Chief of Staff fires back

Yesterday Abdulmumin Jibrin accused Speaker Dogara of giving $25,000 to lawmakers to sign vote of confidence register for him in his alleged corruption fight with Jibrin. Dogara's Chief of Staff has released a strong worded statement denying it. Read it below...

"The disgraced Hon. Abdulmumin has once again accused me of being involved in coordinating the distribution of $25,000 to various members in the House of Reps Zonal Caucuses  in order to support the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Dogara Yakubu.

2.      It is true that he loves mentioning my name, but is he so unintelligent not to notice a pattern. Hon. Abonta disagrees with him on national television, he immediately adds his name in a petition to EFCC; Hon. Jagaba grants an interview against him, he adds his name in the charge sheet which he carries about. The Appropriations Committee members disown him, he immediately alleges inducement of $20,000; the whole House rises against him, then immediately everyone is given $25,000 USD each.

#Where?? The change we promised Nigerians is now manifesting around us – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the change the APC promised Nigerians during the 2015 general elections campaign is now manifesting in Nigeria. He said this while speaking at the Federal government town hall meeting in South East Enugu yesterday August 1

"Many have said they are yet to see the change we promised. Many more have called the promise a ruse. In fact, they are now mocking us.
But we remain undaunted because we know that the change we promised is real. In fact, the change we promised is already here, and it is manifesting all around us"he said

#Correct: Femi Gbajabiamilia distance self from Dogara/Jibrin budget padding palava

 House of Reps leader, Femi Gbajabiamilia distance self from Dogara/Jibrin budget padding palava

Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has released a statement denying claims that he is working with sacked chairman of the House committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin to unseat Speaker Yakubu Dogara. Gbajabiamila was in a tight race for the seat of speaker of the House of Representatives with Yakubu Dogara last year....

APC summons Abdulmumin Jibrin over his allegations of budget padding against Speaker Dogara and others

The National Leadership of APC yesterday wrote a letter to embattled former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, summoning him to appear before it at the National Secretariat of the party today August 2nd.
Jibrin has continued his media campaign against the House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, three principal officers and nine other lawmakers, accusing them of budget padding and corruption.

In a letter signed by the party’s Deputy National Chairman for the Northern Zone, Lawal Shuaibu, APC said it is totally unacceptable for Jibrin to have resorted to media war against its party members when he had not exhausted the party's internal dispute resolution mechanism.

#Really?: This administrations anti-corruption war isn't a witch hunt- Ben Murray-Bruce

As he shared ... 

#ExpandCapacity: The 4th Industrial Revolution: What it means..."

1.       We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another

2.       In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. #ExpandCapacity

3.       We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive. #ExpandCapacity

4.       The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production. #ExpandCapacity

5.       The Second used electric power to create mass production. The Third used electronics and information technology to automate production.

6.       A 4th Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century

#Gbam: I want quick investigation so Dogara and others can be prosecuted and if found guilty sent to jail- Jibrin

After submitting his petition at ICPC headquarters against Speaker Yakubu Dogara, three principal officers of the House of Representatives and nine chairmen of different committees in the House, Abdulmumin Jibrin told newsmen that he hopes to see quick investigations into the matter so that the people he indicted can be investigated and sent to jail if found guilty.

House Of Reps Crisis: Abdulmumin Jibrin arrives at ICPC office to submit petition against Speaker Dogara (photos)

Abdulmumin Jibrin, the ousted Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation arrived at ICPC office on Monday, August 1, to submit his petition against Speaker Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; Whip Alhassan Doguwa and Minority leader, Leo Ogor.

The Kano State lawmaker has accused the Speaker and some other lawmakers of corruption and padding of the 2016 budget and allocating to themselves 40billion naira out of the 100billion allocated to the entire National Assembly.

Mr Jibrin said via his twitter handle that he would fully cooperate with investigators to understand the level of budget fraud and abuse of office by Speaker Dogara and other lawmakers.

"My lawyers have confirmed my appointments for today(Monday) with security and anti corruption agencies to personally provide insight on my petition," he said in a series of tweets earlier today,"

More photos...

#Gbam: Hon. Jibrin Not resting on the Matter

Abdulmumin Jibrin, the ousted Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation arrived at ICPC office on Monday, August 1, to submit his petition against Speaker Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; Whip Alhassan Doguwa and Minority leader, Leo Ogor.

#ThenWho: I wasn't part of the 2016 budget padding- Abdulmumin Jibrin says

In a no-holds-barred interview with Channels TV which was aired yesterday evening, sacked chairman of the House of the Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, says he was never part of the 2016 padding which he described as insertion.
 He said:

"Well, I wasn't part of the insertions but I think I also didn't help myself because I started speaking quite late. The event that pushed me to start talking doesn't look too attractive to people because they are saying why am I talking now that I have left the position".