Pep Opara's Blog

  May his soul rest in peace!   A former Governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja, on Thursday lost one of his sons in an auto crash on the Eko Bridge in Lagos. The deceased, identified as Adebola Ladoja, was driving a Golf saloon car, marked, AKD 107 CJ, and was said to be on his way to Lagos Island when a Daf truck, with number plate, JJJ 59 XA, driven by one Justice Oseghai, rammed into his car on the Eko Bridge. An eyewitness said the driver of the Daf truck, who was on top speed, lost control of his vehicle, rammed into the median of the bridge, before he eventually crashed into the deceased’s car.     He said, “It took several hours before the victim could be rescued from the wreckage of the vehicle. He was trapped behind the wheels with blood gushing out of his head.”   The Lagos State Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the incident, added that it occurred at about 3.30pm.   She said, “At about 3.30pm on the E...

    The unconfirmed reports making the round is that the marriage between one of the most famous couple-pastors in Nigeria; Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his wife, Rev. Anita Oyakhilome of Love World Assembly, aka Christ Embassy Church has gone sour.   However, with the latest information emanating from the United kingdom, where the Oyakhilome’s resides, the couple may have divorced or separated secretly from their marriage. I don't know how true this is, but that's the news been whispered by the church members.   According to a report published in the UK on Wednesday, 28 May, 2014, most of the members of Christ Embassy Church in the UK are beginning to show concerns on why the couple has not been seen together both in the church and outside the church lately.   In an attempt to find answers to their worries, it was alleged that some members opened a Facebook page which they call ‘ Where Is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome ?   The page...

  The continued delay in the approval for public viewing of the movie, Half Of A Yellow Sun enters week five as authority at the Nigeria film board and producers of the much talked about flick have started trading blames on why the delay went on for so long.  Director of the movie, Biyi Bandele who opened up for the very first time on the issue lashed out at the boss of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Patricia Bala for her attitude towards the issue, after all the same Patricia Bala have watched the film when it was shown in Canada recently.  According to him (Biyi), “It is now nearly eight months since Patricia Bala, (Director General of Nigerian Censorship Board) and her team first saw the movie in Toronto and a few weeks since she and her board have failed to issue “Half of a Yellow Sun” the certification that it needs that the law requires it obtains before it can be shown in cinemas in Nigeria”. “In the past months I have been infor...

  Fellow Nigerians:  I greet and felicitate with you all, today, as we mark 15 years of uninterrupted democratic governance in our beloved country.   2.  Our dear nation, Nigeria, has certainly come a long way and made notable progress since our first Democracy Day on May 29, 1999 when the military finally relinquished power and handed over to a democratically-elected government, marking the true beginning of a government of the people, by the people, for the people.”   3.  Although I have ordered a low-key commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day in deference to the current mood of the nation, there can be no doubt that the past 15 years, the longest period of sustained democratic governance in our country, have been a blessing to us, as a people.   4.  As we commemorate 15 years of our Fourth Republic today therefore, I believe that it is fitting that we pay tribute once again to all those who played a part in r...

It started as a rumour making the round but now people are beginning to believe and speculate seriously about Bey and her bodyguard. According to Star Magazine reports: Beyoncé’s bodyguard, Julius De Boer, became instantly famous when — on surveillance video captured in a hotel elevator after the Met Gala — he saved her husband, Jay Z, from a brutal attack at the hands of her sister, Solange Knowles.   On the video, Julius comes across as professional, loyal and level headed. But while all that may be true, Star has learned that there’s a lot more to the bodyguard — and his relationship with Beyonce — than meets the eye.    “Jay definitely thinks that there was and may still be something romantic going on between Bey and Julius,” an insider tells Star of the hip-hop mogul, whose own rumored cheating was the reported cause of Solange’s attack. “He wanted to fire Julius last February, but Beyonce said, ‘Julius isn’t going anywhere.’”   The “XO” sin...

  PO: It's been going on for awhile, Nigerians maltreated and murdered in the diaspora, government should show more concern and place high premium on the lives of Nigerians in Diaspora, why then do we have ambassadors and foreign embassy in other countries? What a shame! The life of a Nigerian citizen means nothing to its government and that's why Nigerians are not treated without respect because it is a known fact the Nigeria Government won't take action and right the wrong.   The killing recently of Oluwadamilola Oloruntoba Falode, son of popular television broadcaster, Aisha Falode in Dubai, United Arab Emirate has once again raised concern over the attitude of the Nigerian government towards the security and welfare of Nigerians living in Diaspora.   The 19-year-old Falode before his murder on February 15, 2014 was a student of SAE Institute in Dubai. The account of his murder and government’s expression of near indifference leave much to be desired....

    Poor dude is going through a lot, even accused by sister Kim K of bringing the family name down... that's enough accusation to go with his troubling weight issue.   According to RadarOnline reports: After Rob Kardashian arrived in Paris, for sister, Kim‘s wedding, the siblings got into a heated argument in which the sex tape star accused her brother of leaking negative stories about her to the media causing the sock designer to abruptly leave Italy before the reality star’s wedding to Kanye West, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.  Adding insult to injury, the source claims Kim also hurt Rob’s feelings by bringing up his weight.  “Kim and Rob haven’t been speaking to each other for months…she thinks he is lazy, and bringing down the family name because of his physical appearance. After arriving in Paris, Rob and Kim got into a very heated argument because she thought he was just moping around the hotel. She encouraged him to go o...

With the current spate on insecurity, terrorism in the country President Goodluck Jonathan has emphasized that his government is using all the available resources in the fight against terrorism which also includes dialogue, de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of members of the dread boko haram that renounce terrorism and embrace peace.     The President made this known during his Democracy Day broadcast to commemorate 15th years of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria.   He said: “For our citizens who have joined hands with Al Qaeda and international terrorists in the misguided belief that violence can possibly solve their problems, our doors remain open to them for dialogue and reconciliation, if they renounce terrorism and embrace peace.   My government, while pursuing security measures, will explore all options, including readiness to accept unconditional renunciation of violence by insurgents, and to ensure their de-rad...

It has been 43 days since the over 200 schoolgirls Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state were abducted by the dreaded Boko haram, the Borno state government has recounted how the girls were kidnapped.   The Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Baba Jidda who said the state government should not be blamed gave its account of what happened on April 14 while speaking on the breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily on Channels Television saying:   “The girls were lured into the trucks by men who pretended to members of the Nigerian security force. The students were given the impression that Boko Haram were coming to attack the school and they will be given protection” .   Ambassador Jidda who said except for two security men present on the day of the attack the schoolgirls were “fairly on their own” while confirming the insurgents burnt down the school immediately the girls were loaded into Boko Haram trucks and conveyed to Sambisa fores...

PO: If you live in Lagos, you ought to be very concerned who would take the governorship mantle from Governor Babatunde Fashola, the Nation should have their eyes fixed on this one as Lagos is the commercial hub centre of Nigeria, a focal stand of the Nation and West Africa.....that's why am posting this article.   Few weeks back, the royal fathers of Lagos did something wrong, yes! they openly declared Mr. Akinwumi Ambode as the next Governor of Lagos State, Wise men don't do that, theirs a need for diplomacy here. Anyways, Akinwumi claimed to be from a particular family, that family have rejected him and says he is not one of them so I don't understand his logic, family says you are not one of them, you say ask royal fathers, which comes first, family or Obas? park commot for road, rubbish talk, that's how katakata starts. See Article after the cut.....   The dust raised over the indigeneship of Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, a governorship aspirant on the platform...

A London-based newspaper, The Telegraph, reported on Sunday that Boko Haram had dropped its demand for the release of its top commanders.     It quoted sources as saying that the sect was prepared to start “gradual” release of half of the schoolgirls in coming days.     The newspaper first reported details of Boko Haram’s offer of an imminent prisoner exchange last Tuesday, when sources close to some of the militants’ families said that a senior Islamic cleric from the North would be appointed to mediate on its behalf with the government.     It added that the cleric had since been joined by a former aide to one of the group’s founders. Neither of the negotiators had been named, possibly for their own safety.     While the Federal Government has insisted that it is not willing to enter prisoner swap negotiations, The Telegraph source claimed that dialogue had already been going in secret for several days.

  I saw this interesting article on New York Times, keep reading... Federal health officials are urging hundreds of thousands of healthy people at high risk of contracting AIDS to take a pill every day to protect themselves from the virus that causes it.    The recommendation could help reduce the stubbornly high number of infections, which has held steady at 50,000 new infections a year in the United States. But the pill carries risks that must be addressed as well.   The drug, made by Gilead Sciences and known as Truvada, contains two antiviral drugs that have been used for a decade in combination with other drugs to treat people already infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. Two years ago the Food and Drug Administration approved it for a radically different purpose — to prevent disease in people who have not yet been infected. When taken every day, the pill can be extremely effective; it protected 99 percent of the gay men in one stu...

  As the National Conference enters its plenary session Monday, the Afenifere has demanded for a regional autonomy to be granted the Yoruba in the Southwest or the Yoruba will secede from Nigeria.   The Yoruba group at a news conference to unveil the Publication of “Regional Autonomy or Nothing” at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria Monday said it was displeased that many of its demands at the conference had been thrown away as the Northern group had ganged up to defeat autonomy for the regions.   Speaking at the news conference on Monday, General Secretary, Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, Ayo Afolabi, said as the nation was going through trying period, one would have expected that “we all should seize any opportunity to build consensus and reclaim the country from wrong-footed ideas and practices that brought Nigeria to this sorry state where it is difficult to imagine a better future.   “We are therefore baffl...

                                      A major struggle to grab the soul of All Progressives Congress, APC, from the grip of the pair of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) is on the way.   Leading the onslaught against the two national leaders is Chief Tom Ikimi, erstwhile national chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention, NRC. Ikimi, it is alleged, is the face of many of the governors are allegedly hoping to use Ikimi to assert their influence in the party.     The shape of the battle was formally expressed at a national caucus of the party in Abuja  on Tuesday  that lasted into the early hours of yesterday.  At that meeting, Tinubu and Ikimi were said to have engaged themselves in a shouting match that followed reserv...

Managing Director, Nigeria Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mutiu Sunmonu,   Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell has resumed crude oil exports from a key terminal in southern Nigeria after repairing a sabotaged pipeline, the company said on Friday.   Shell’s subsidiary in Nigeria, SPDC, said a “force majeure” declared on exports from the Forcados terminal on 25 March was lifted on Thursday “following the removal of a crude theft point on the export line”.   “Force majeure” is a legal term releasing a company from contractual obligations when faced with circumstances beyond its control.   The company shut the underwater pipeline when a leak was discovered on 4 March, leading to the suspension of exports through the terminal, which can produce up to 400,000 barrels of crude per day.   Shell has blamed repeated oil thefts and sabotage of key pipelines as the major cause of spills and pollution in the oil-producing region. ...

  Justice Ibrahim Saulawa of the Appeal Court said that upon completion of his jail term in London, Mr. Ibori will face trial in Nigeria.     A Court of Appeal in Benin on Thursday ruled that a former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, should face corruption trial afresh in Nigeria.   Justice Ibrahim Saulawa of the Appeal Court said that upon completion of his jail term in London, Mr. Ibori will face trial in Nigeria.   This ruling comes six years after an Asaba Federal High Court Judge, Marcel Awokulehin, struck out all 170 – count charges of money laundering against Mr. Ibori.   The suit was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.   The appeal court’s ruling was by a three- member panel of justices including, Justices P. M Ekpe and H. A Barka   Following Mr. Awokulehin’s controversial ruling, the EFC had approached the appellate court to set aside the judgment on the grounds that the court e...

Bomb Blast – Victim’s Mother In this heart wrenching interview, a devastated mother of five told PREMIUM TIMES how she watched her first child burn to death in the April 14 Boko Haram bomb attack on Nyanya motor park in Abuja. Lydia Nwange, who sells okpa (Bambara groundnut), a local breakfast delicacy at the park, had set her 15-year-old daughter with a one day sales portion of okpa.   She went off and shortly after, the terrorists detonated the bomb at the spot she left her daughter. By the time Mrs. Nwange got back, her daughter was, from her ankle up, in flames and battled to sniff any oxygen she could get.  In this Interview with Amina Mohammed, she explains how her efforts to save her daughter failed and the trauma she’s had to live with since that day.   PT: You sold okpa at the bus park before the bomb blast. One of your daughters was killed in that attack. Tell us about her and how it all happened.   Mrs. Nwange: Her name was Chinazo...

  The Lagos State Government has banned all local governments from setting up illegal environmental and traffic taskforce that extort money from members of the public.   According to a report by PM NEWS , several local governments across the state have established parallel taskforce and traffic officials who arrest motorists and extort between N20,000 and N30,000 from them for allegedly breaking traffic law.   Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademorin Kure at a ministerial news conference on Thursday said government has outlawed all forms of taskforce or traffic officials being set up by councils, desctibing them as illegal.   “On illegal traffic officers, we have held meeting with our local government chairmen and the council chairmen have addressed the press at different times and saying they don’t know these people.   “A few weeks ago, we issued another letter to our local governments telling th...

Following rumours he’s left Inspiration FM, Dan Foster has revealed the truth behind the rumour.   He confirmed to NET that he’s truly dropped his resignation letter and has since left. Coupled with the fact that his voice hasn’t also been heard airing on the station since this week, is a living proof he’s no longer there.   Speaking he said, his partial leaving wasn’t based on any negative occurrence but has been contemplating on taking up other projects.  According to him, his work with the station wouldn’t be as a presenter anymore but as a consultant. However he said, he doesn’t have the intention of quitting the station’s Sunday Jam show which he says has become more like a ministry for him.   He also revealed his intention to start his academy called ‘Dan Foster Academy’ where he’d be teaching Broadcasting. DAILY TIMES