BlackBox Nigeria

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A middle aged man has been accused of raping a five-year-old girl at the National Stadium at Surulere, Lagos.

The unnamed little girl had been running errands for her mother-who is a trader at the stadium- when she was lured to a hidden location and raped by the man called Uche.

According to reports, Uche was a former bartender at "Old Skool" bar, a drinking joint at the stadium.

The rape was later discovered when the mother of the girl noticed that she was in pain when she returned from the errand. After questioning, the five-year-old confessed that Uche raped her.

The mother according to the report has reported the case at the Surulere Police Station.

Another report however revealed that the mother of the rape victim had collected the sum of N30, 000 from Uche for the treatment of her daughter.

Uche we learnt is still evading the police.

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Former Nigeria and Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper, Wilfred Agbonavbare, has reportedly died of cancer.

Agbonovbare, who was 48-years-old, died on Tuesday morning in a Madrid, Spain hospital.

The information on his death was communicated on the website of his former club.

The deceased was a member of the Nigeria squad which won the 1994 African Cup of Nations and was also part of the Super Eagles squad that reached the second round of the USA '94 World Cup.

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Feeling hurt about the forged certificate claims by her fathers' opposition party, Zahra Buhari, daughter of APC Presidential flag bearer, Muhammadu Buhari has come to the rescue of her battered father.

Zahra who has maintained silence on the matter, came out publicly to make clarifications and defend her father's image.

She took to her twitter handle to air her views in defense of Buhari, "About 53yrs ago he acquired this certificate. During his military years he held posts that couldn't possibly be run by an illiterate 1/2

"Mind you, these were posts he managed very well. He ran for office 3 times, this is the fourth time and now his certificate matters

"The ruling party should accept the fact that they have failed Nigeria as a whole and we can't give them anymore chances.

"Misplaced priorities. Security should come first not #GMB s certificate. We don't want them anymore and we don't want them to persuade us to want them. We just simply do not WANT.
We know wat we want.

@ABASS4U we know wat they stand for its not hidden. Mischief, insecurity, unemployment, empty promises..you name it.

@YusufWara their misdeeds are too great for anything to be able to divert our attention..thousands dying and many more hungry! It's your choice whoever you vote at the end of the day. Just be fair to yourself and the people of Nigeria. #IHaveDecided," her tweets read.

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The headless bodies of two girls were reportedly found at Iju community in Akure North local government area of Ondo State.
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The girls were said to have gone to the farm last Saturday and when they did not return late into the night, a search party was conducted and their headless bodies were found by the roadside, in what is seen as a clear case of ritual murder.

The girls, identified as Oyinkansola Owoeye and Folasade Bello, who were both 12-years-old, were close friends and helped each other on their parents farms and had gone to the farm together on the fateful day when they met their untimely death.

One of them was said to be the daughter of a serving policeman from the community.

The report also had it that apart from their headless bodies, there were matchete cuts all over their body while their blood had been drained, indicating that they were murdered for ritual purposes.

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By Daniel Nkado

Modern women may claim that the times when marriage was the hallmark of a woman's existence are long gone. Despite the particle of truth this holds, the real truth is that most Nigerian women would still prefer to be married than remain single.

So, for such lovely ladies who still crave to become "Mrs" someday including my sister, I put my thumb up for you.

We know Naija men can be unbelievable when it comes to marriage. None of my married friends had in fact married the girls we thought they were going to marry. This trend is one that is not likely to change any time soon.

So, dear wife aspirants, here are 5 simple tips that could help you ensure you are the one:

1. Stop Being A Girlfriend
Yes, you heard that right. If you are currently dating your dream husband, then you need to stop being his girlfriend and turn to something deeper, more intimate. Stop being the shallow girlfriend that only provides addresses of the current happening places in town or whines and grumbles about a gift he failed to get you. You have to start showing full interest in all that concerns him; his career, health, future life ambitions, etc. The truth is that you need to start acting like a wife before you eventually become one.

2. Flow Well With The Kitchen
This might sound off-putting to some ladies but aint no way you gonna avoid this. No Nigerian guy would want to marry an enemy of the kitchen, not even one that was born abroad. Not like we can have two kitchen foes in the same house. That's sheer disaster.

3. Mingle With Mom
The route to the heart of a Naija guy, as they say, is his stomach. But another route is his mom. If she is still alive, never underestimate her influence. Most Naija men are mama's boys. Even if they have not always been, at marriageable age, they tend to become. So if you don't know how to smile when mom is around, buy a smiling mask.

4. Become The Shield Lady
If he narrates a story to you about someone who had treated him badly, show open reproof. See a neighbour disrespect him, warn him or her sternly. If he tells you he did something bad, stay down and reason with him.

Mind you, don't start shouting at anybody that offends him so as not to turn into a mad woman badly in need of help in his eyes. In all cases, Naija men like to know that their women would always be ready to defend them as much as they would do them.

5. Never Mention Marriage
Please don't do this. Pressuring him about marriage can only bring you two things—bolting or fake proposal. I'm sure you don't want either. So chill and observe him in 3D while you apply the other tips.

Goodluck! And please don't forget to invite me to your wedding.

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President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark said yesterday the Federal Government will not allow any rigging from any political party in next month's general elections. This is even as they said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not be rigged out.

Speaking at the presidential campaign rally in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, President Jonathan said his administration is committed to free, fair and transparent 2015 general polls.

President Jonathan, who commended the people for the crowd, said he would not encourage governance by intimidation if re-elected. He noted that he would give people the ability and freedom to express themselves.

"My message to people of Kwara State specifically today is not all about what we have done or what we'll even do per se, but to show you people that we'll work with you people and let Nigerians know they are free citizens. We don't want a government where they'll be governed by intimidation. We are committed to a government wherein every Nigerian will be free, where every young man and woman of 18 years old will be free. We don't want to be bottled or have any fear of intimidation. We don't encourage a situation where leaders intimidate followers, where people feel like they are in a zoo, with lions or leopards are moving freely and others go into hiding. Nigeria is not a zoological garden. Nigeria is a country governed by laws and people are free.

"We'll work with you to make agriculture turn you to billionaires through micro, small and medium-scale-agro-allied enterprises to even create jobs for others. We have intervened in water, power, rail transport, creation of universities, road construction, among others.

"This country belongs to the youth and you are the future leaders. That is what we are set out for. Government of the young people. We also have a vibrant economy recognised by CNN (American news company) two days ago ranking us with two other countries where the economy will continue to boom. If CNN can say that, who is that economist in Nigeria that can say what the world has seen will be seen differently. Our economy is the largest in Africa. All experts in both public and private sectors have been working to sustain that," Jonathan said.

However, absent at the presidential rally was a PDP chieftain and a 2015 governorship aspirant, Senator Gbemisola Saraki and her usual teeming supporters.

Also speaking at the event, the state coordinator of the presidential campaign organisation, who was a 2015 governorship aspirant, Muhammad Dele Belgore (SAN), told the President that "Kwara is yours, Mr President, as this huge crowd clearly shows. Kwara is the only state with two governors. One is merely occupying the seat and has no powers, while the other one exercises all the powers."

The President said at the palace of Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, that the essence of the visit was to pay homage and respect to members of the state's Traditional Council under the Emir's chairmanship.

"We thank the Emir for his kind support and prayers in the past for the PDP and our administration. If we can observe we would see that in the last four years, we have recorded achievements through road construction, economic development and others and in the last four years, we have had challenges and the main one is security particularly in the North-East.

Responding, the Emir said: "Kwarans are peace-loving people and they respect constituted authority.  You have done well and we urge you to work towards maintaining peace in the country and you have demonstrated that you are a peace-loving leader by joining others in signing the peace accord in  Abuja'.

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Two Lagos State governorship candidates in the February elections, Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, and Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party have again disagreed over the collection of tolls on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

In an interactive forum with the candidates organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Agbaje said he would stop the payment of tolls in that axis if he becomes the next governor of Lagos State.

But Ambode said it was in the programme of his government to continue with the toll collection, arguing that it was the only way the government was generating revenue to maintain the road.

The argument about the toll emanated from a question that was thrown to the candidates about their plans to improve the situation of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in the light of the constant gridlock in the area.

Ambode had replied that the road belonged to the Federal Government and that the state had been trying to work on the road but was prevented by the PDP-led Federal Government.

However, Agbaje explained that the state government could work more with the Federal Government on providing alternative means of transport to ease the traffic.

He argued that the work of building roads should not be left in the hands of the Federal Government but that the state government could work with the private sector to provide alternative transport like the light rail system.

At the mention of private participation, Ambode cut in, pointing out to Agbaje that he was proposing an end to the only Public-Private Partnership project in Lagos state which was the Lekki-Epe toll gate.

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The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a member of three-man armed robbery gang, which specializes in snatching vehicles in Lagos and its environs.
The suspect, identified as Chukwudi Iwueke, was arrested at the scene of the robbery operation along Pedro, Somolu, while two others escaped.
It was learned that the trio chartered a Toyota Camry at Lekki Roundabout. The driver charged them N15,000 to take them to Oshodi, not knowing they were robbers.

Trouble started when the robbers ordered the driver to pull over, while approaching Palmgrove.
Realising that the passengers were armed robbers, the driver stopped the vehicle and initially resisted the robbers.
He was, however, immediately dragged out of the car by one of the robbers at gunpoint, but was able to hold on to one of the robbers and call for help, while the other two zoomed off with the vehicle, his wallet and phones.
It was gathered that the victim bought the Toyota Camry two months ago, and decided to pick passengers on his way home from work.
The police recovered one locally-made gun and four live cartridges at the scene of the robbery operation.

It was gathered that the case, which was transferred from Pedro Divisional Police to Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, is currently being investigated, even as the command is making efforts to arrest other members of the gang, who are currently at large.
Speaking to newsmen, the suspect, 30-year-old commercial bus driver, who identified himself as Chukwudi Iwueke, said: "I was arrested because I went to a robbery operation with members of my gang. My friend asked me to join them for the operation to snatch a car that we would sell.
"We succeeded in the operation, but the other two members of the gang drove off with the car after the owner of the car held unto me, raised alarm and people around caught me and then took me to the police.
"I was a commercial bus driver before I went into robbery. I ply Ikotun/Iyano-Ipaja route.
"Initially, I was a company driver before the Indonesia expatriate travelled back to his country; hence I started driving the commercial bus last year April.
"I was introduced to robbery by one David, who was my conductor, while I was a commercial bus driver.
"When we started having issues on the road with Police and LASTMA officials and found it difficult to deliver the daily pay to the owner of the bus, he introduced me to armed robbery.
"I agreed to participate in the operation as they promised to give me N100,000 after we sold the car to sort my accommodation problem.
"We were at Lekki roundabout when the victim stopped to pick up passengers. The gang leader, Sunny, asked him to carry us on charter from Lekki to Oshodi.
"Unknown to him that we were armed robbers who wanted to snatch his vehicle, he agreed and billed us N15,000.
"I was sitting behind the victim, while David was beside him at the front, with Sunny beside me at the rear.
"Immediately we got to Jibowu area, Sunny signalled me to make a move, which I did by pointing a gun at the victim but he was stubborn and resisted us initially."

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President Goodluck Jonathan campaign on Monday reacted angrily to the criticism by the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN governor, Chukwuma Soludo, that his administration failed woefully in its handling of the country's economy.
In his widely publicized assessment of President Jonathan's handling of the country's economy in the past five years, Mr. Soludo, gave the administration an 'F' grade in the management of the economy, describing it as the worst in Nigeria's political history.
But in its reaction, Mr. Jonathan's campaign, the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation, PCO, dismissed the former CBN governor as a confused Nigerian, who has lost touch with the reality of his country.
A statement by the spokesperson for the campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode, said contrary to Mr. Soludo's wish that Mr. Jonathan withdraws, he would not only run next month, but would win his re-election.
"To say that the President should not run in this election and that he should throw in the towel is absurd and self-depreciating," he said. "It is a manifestation of the morbid fear of failure and defeat that the leaders of the opposition are all suffering from.
"Whether Soludo and his friends like it or not, not only will President Goodluck Jonathan run in this election, but he will also win and he will do so convincingly," he said.
According to Mr. Fani-Kayode, he could forgive Mr. Soludo for suggesting the President's withdrawal from the race, saying there was no doubt that he no longer understood what were on ground, having spent much time hanging around the opposition's camp in the All Progressives Congress, APC.
"I read Charles Soludu's contribution to the debate with amusement. I will be gentle with him because I have a soft spot for him. He has criticized the President, his government and his handling of the economy," Mr. Fani-Kayode said.
In spite of the criticism, the former aviation minister said Nigeria recently won the award for being the largest economy in Africa, which happened under President Jonathan, questioning whether any right-thinking person who has the nation's interest at heart would complain about that.
"Mr. Soludo is confused and conflicted. He seems to have lost touch with reality and this is what often happens when you spend too much time with the Buharists.
"The truth is that Soludo is far too educated, civilized and advanced to be in the opposition. He belongs to the modern age and not the dark ages. I pray that sooner than later he comes to his senses and he sees the light.
"One thousand Muhammadu Buhari cannot match one Goodluck Jonathan in terms of tolerance, compassion, performance or output. Buhari cannot even begin to understand the complex nature of the economy, or the immense problems that we are facing in this country, whilst Jonathan not only understands them, but is also making a gallant effort at solving them.
According to Mr. Fani-Kayode, "Mr. Soludo got it wrong on his assessment of President Goodluck Jonathan, pointing out that he acted in error and needed to "sit up, reconsider his views and review his unsavoury and disrespectful contribution."

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A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo, has delivered a ruthless evaluation of the Nigerian economy under President Goodluck Jonathan, ranking the administration "F" on economic management, and suggesting the Jonathan government is Nigeria's worst as far as the management of the economy is concerned.
Mr. Soludo said while Mr. Jonathan lacks achievements to point to, or clear future plans as he seeks re-election, his main challenger, the All Progressives Congress, APC's presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, also lacks specific plans on how to salvage Nigeria's economy should he win elections next month.
"My advice to President Jonathan and his handlers is to stop wasting their time trying to campaign on his job record. Those who have decided to vote for him will not do so because he has taken Nigeria to the moon. His record on the economy is a clear 'F' grade," Mr. Soludo said.
"Everywhere else in the world, government performance on the economy is measured by some outcome variables such as: income (GDP growth rate), stability of prices (inflation and exchange rate), unemployment rate, poverty rate, etc.
On all these scores, this government has performed worse than its immediate predecessor— Obasanjo regime. If we appropriately adjust for oil income and debt, then this government is the worst in our history on the economy."
Mr. Soludo's assessment, in a lengthy article published Sunday, took aim at the government's economic policies that have resulted in unprecedented levels of poverty and unemployment.
He said the economy appears to be on "auto pilot" and lambasted the president's economic team led by Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as a team "dominated by self-interested and self-conflicted group of traders and businessmen".
He said Nigeria has been handed over to economic racketeers.
"The very people government exists to regulate have seized the levers of government as policymakers and most government institutions have largely been 'privatized' to them. Mention any major government department or agency and someone will tell you whom it has been 'allocated' to, and the person subsequently nominates his minion to occupy the seat," he said.
Mr. Soludo said while Nigeria has for years enjoyed oil boom and increasing budget, poverty and unemployment reached unprecedented levels under President Jonathan.
"This is the only government in our history where rapidly increasing government expenditure was associated with increasing poverty. The director general of NBS (National Bureau of Statistics) stated in his written press conference address in 2011 that about 112 million Nigerians were living in poverty. Is this the record to defend?" he said.
The former CBN governor said on the other hand, while the APC promises change, the party and its candidate, Mr. Buhari, have shockingly offered no specifics on how its plans will be achieved.
Mr. Soludo said in his estimation, the current level of poverty and unemployment could only be reversed with a minimum of 3 million jobs annually. Mr. Jonathan has pledged 2million jobs yearly if re-elected, while Mr. Buhari has promised 20,000 new jobs in each state of the federation annually, raising its total to about 720,000.
Either way, Mr. Soludo said, no party has given specifics how they will create the jobs to roll back the level of poverty, which at 71per cent is the worst in the history in Nigeria.
"This sounds like a quota system and for a country where the new entrants into the labour market per annum exceed two million," he said of the APC's offer. "If it was intended as a joke, APC must please get serious. On the other hand, President Jonathan targets two million jobs per annum but his strategy for doing so is a Job Board— another committee of sort. Sorry, Mr. President, a Job Board is not a strategy. The principal job Nigerians hired you to do for them is to create jobs for them too. You cannot outsource that job, Sir. Creating 3 million jobs per annum under the unfolding crisis would task our creativity and audacity to the limits."
Mr. Soludo said the government of Mr. Jonathan lacks excuse for its woeful performance since it inherited a relatively robust economy and also enjoyed years of oil boom.
He said instead of building on that outlay, the Jonathan government not only depleted foreign reverses, but increased Nigeria's debt yet again, without adding a "penny" to the reserves.
Mr. Soludo, a former chief economic adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said in his estimation, if the economy had been well managed during the years if oil boom, Nigeria should have raked in a minimum of $102bn as foreign reserves, and would have cut unemployment and maintained exchange rate at N112 per dollar.
"For comparisons, President Obasanjo met about $5 billion in foreign reserves, and the average monthly oil price for the 72 months he was in office was $38, and yet he left $43 billion in foreign reserves after paying $12 billion to write-off Nigeria's external debt. In the last five years, the average monthly oil price has been over $100, and the quantity also higher but our foreign reserves have been declining and exchange rate depreciating.
"My calculation is that if the economy was better managed, our foreign reserves should have been between $102 –$118 billion and exchange rate around N112 before the fall in oil prices. As of now, the reserves should be around $90 billion and exchange rate no higher than N125 per dollar," he said.
Mr. Soludo said solving Nigeria's electricity problems is not enough to create jobs as many believe. He said there are other factors, including the quality of manpower.
"For example, currently in Nigeria, it is estimated that more than 60 per cent of graduates of our educational system are unemployable. You can understand why many of us are amused when the government celebrates that it has established twelve more glorified secondary schools as universities. I thought they would have told us how many Nigerian universities made it in the league of the best 200 universities in the world. That would have been an achievement," he said.
He said whoever between Messrs Jonathan and Buhari is declared winner after February 14 election, he expects a national emergency to de declared on job creation.
Mr. Soludo praised President Jonathan for refusing to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, calling the decision the president's most important initiative of his government to secure the future of the economy, and wondered why that achievement is not being celebrated.
Mr. Soludo said if Mr. Buhari rides on the crest of his party's touted "change" and wins, the "honeymoon" will be brief and the pressure will be immense to magically deliver a new Nigeria with no corruption, no boko haram or insecurity, jobs for everyone, no poverty, infrastructure and power in abundance, etc.
"As a first point, Buhari and his team must realize that they do not yet have a coherent, credible agenda that is consistent with the fundamentals of the economy currently. The APC manifesto contains some good principles and wish-lists, but as a blue print for Nigeria's security and prosperity, it is largely hollow. The numbers do not add up. Thus, his first job is to present a credible development agenda to Nigerians," he said.
Of Mr. Jonathan, should he be re-elected, Mr. Soludo said his greatest challenge will be how to save himself from the stranglehold of his largely provincial palace jesters who tell him he has done better than God, and seek out 'enemies' and friends who can help him write his name in history.
"Propaganda won't do it," he said.

@blackboxupdate

The controversy over the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari's academic certificate has shifted to the court, as an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Chike Okafor has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, to disqualify Buhari from contesting February 14 presidential election on account of false information given by the candidate in the affidavit he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in support of his nomination form.

Okafor in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/01/2015, predicated the case on Section 131 of the Constitution which prescribes a minimum qualification for nomination to participate in Presidential elections and Section 31 of the Electoral Act that stipulates all presidential candidates to depose an affidavit in proof of compliance with constitutional requirement to be President of Nigeria.

The claimant is contending in the suit that Buhari failed to prove that he has the minimum educational qualification to run for President.

He is further contending that Buhari's affidavit that he possesses the West African School Leaving Certificate (WASC) are false, as not only did he not attach it to his Nomination Form, as compulsorily required, but his claim that the certificates are in the custody of the military had been denied by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye.

Okafor is, consequently, praying the court to disqualify Buhari from contesting the February 14 presidential election, citing Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act that allows a person that has reasonable grounds to believe that false information has been given by a candidate in his affidavit or document submitted to INEC, in support of his nomination form, to approach the court for the candidate to be disqualified.

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Second Republic and first executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, is happy that the country has witnessed 16 years of unbroken democratic rule and wants the trend sustained.
The octogenarian, who will be 90 years on February 25, said the country is maturing politically and commended President Goodluck Jonathan for promoting the unity of the country.
 The former president, who was toppled on December 31, 1983 by the Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) military coup stressed the need to strengthen our democratic, saying: "I sincerely could never have imagined that in my life time, under constitutional rule, with a deep and broad mandate, a zoologist from Bayelsa, one of our youngest states, could rise to become Commander-in-Chief.
"There is no better indicator that, while much remains to be achieved, our beloved Nigeria is slowly but surely maturing politically. Almost unwittingly, we are strengthening our democratic practice. And we must acknowledge and be thankful of the fact that Jonathan has taken it upon himself to diligently promote one Nigeria not only in words but in action."
Shagari conveyed the thoughts through his foreword to the book; "Jonathan: A Photographic Journey to the Presidency," which was circulated, weekend, in Lagos when President Jonathan took his re-election campaign to the top echelon of the country's business community.
In the seven-paragraph foreword to the 398-page book, Shagari, who recalled Jonathan's topsy-turvy journey to power, said the president's accelerated electoral reforms and political will ensured that the 2011 general polls were credible and peaceful.
His words: "Without the acceleration of electoral reforms achieved as a result of President Jonathan's political will, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would not have been able to guarantee relatively free and fair elections in 2011.
 
Much remains to be done
"While the Jonathan administration lays claim, and rightly so, for assuring that INEC could carry out its work unimpeded by what had become almost routine 'bottlenecks' and practices in the administration of Nigerian elections hitherto, we must not forget the role popular opinion played as well. Much remains to be done, but we are now more confident that INEC can become an effective and independent institution."
On the book, he said: "As I looked through the book, I was reminded of the responsibilities and roles our leaders undertake daily to help move our beloved nation forward. In the case of President Jonathan, a lot has been said and written about his style, strategy and keenness. Anyone who picks up at this book will surely appreciate how hard he works, how earnest he is and how much energy and bonhomie he brings along with him.
"The book also reminds me of how much Nigeria's states and communities are inter-linked in so many ways. This is a reminder of the role citizens play in securing democracy and democratic institutions. And Indeed Nigerians have been at the forefront in ensuring that 'things' get better.
"Most of all, I was reminded how much, over the past four years, our young democracy has grown in terms of tolerance and inclusion which embraces, accepts and celebrates our diverse cultures and communities."
The elder statesman hoped that the book will lead to the production of more books with stories "that will heighten our collective understanding of how our democracy is being built. Stories that will remind us of how far we have come. Stories that will inspire us to continue to hold our political leaders accountable for ensuring that Nigeria delivers the basic needs of Nigerians, and that it takes on its global responsibilities and leadership with same sense of focus with which it is nurturing and building its democratic traditions."

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The Ogun State government yesterday confirmed the outbreak of Avian Influenza otherwise known as H5N1 and also known as bird flu.
The state commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Ronke Sokefun while addressing newsmen said
samples from Sango, Sagamu and Ifo live birds market tested positive to the highly pathogenic bird flu.
She said samples of birds taken from another poultry farm on Obalende-Ikangba Road in Odogbolu Local Government area of the state had tested positive.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, had on January 21 in newspaper reports, l isted Ogun State as one of the seven states harbouring the bird flu virus.
According to him, the discovery was made after a state-wide surveillance and live bird market decontamination exercise initiated along the border towns of Sango, Ifo, Akute, Sagamu, and Mowe-Ibafo axis, considering their nearness to Lagos.
She said: "Other markets in Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Ilaro and Ayetoro were not left out."
She said the samples were sent to the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, near Jos in Plateau State.
Meanwhile, the state chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Dr. Olalekan Odunsi, however, said there was no cause for alarm.
Dr. Odunsi said the association in conjunction with other neighbouring states had held stakeholders meeting on ways of containing the virus.
He said: "We have sent SMS to our members on advocacy and the need for them to take preventive measures on their farms.
"There is no need to panic. The areas affected are under surveillance."

@blackboxupdate

Military authorities said, yesterday, that Nigerian troops were fully in control of Maiduguri and Konduga, the two cities Boko Haram attacked in the early hours of Sunday, noting that the fighting lasted into the early hours of yesterday.
Consequently, the curfew imposed on the capital, Maiduguri, has been lifted, while members of President Goodluck Jonathan's campaign train who were trapped as a result of the curfew, left for Abuja, yesterday.
They include journalists, medical personnel and body guards.
A statement posted on the Defence Headquarters twitter handle, yesterday, said:   "More casualties were inflicted on terrorists as troops battled fleeing ones and reinforcement at outskirts of Maiduguri and Konduga Sunday night.
"Substantial amounts of heavy weapons have been captured, as more terrorists died in the fight which lasted till early yesterday morning
"Our forces also recorded some casualties. Meanwhile, ground troops are in charge and airforce patrol still ongoing."

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The campaign billboards of two Nigerian presidential candidates erected in Ghana's capital, Accra have been pulled down following an order by the country's (Ghana) national security agency.

The billboards of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party featuring President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as those of the main opposition All Progressives Congress of Muhammadu Buhari, located on Accra roads, were pulled down over the weekend by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

The decision to pull down the billboards was said to have come amid fears by some Ghanaians that their country could be drawn indirectly into the politics of Nigeria, with security implications, especially with the Boko Haram terrorists wreaking havoc in Nigeria.

Following the order by the National Security, according to GhanaWeb, a security expert at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr. Kwesi Annin, had indicated that Ghana had been saved from a possible attack by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, by pulling down the billboards put up in some parts of Accra.

He was quoted to have said that political elite in the country could have been targeted by Boko Haram if the political campaign in Ghana was not stopped.

He said, "I think it is critical that the National Security and Accra Metropolitan Assembly have listened to the concerns and voices raised by ordinary citizens that these billboards and some level of active political engagement might pose potential threat in the future."

He said the removal of the billboards should not only be about Boko Haram, but also about whether or not laws governing the country permit foreign political entities to campaign in Ghana.

Meanwhile, an international relations expert, Dr. Vladmir Antwi Danso, said Ghana had been saved from severing future relations with Nigeria.

He was reported to have explained that if there was the perception that Ghana was supporting one candidate over the other, then the relationship between Ghana and Nigeria after the elections would be marred.

"What if after the elections the scales change, then the relationship between our country and Nigeria will also have some hiccups," Danso said.

@blackboxupdate