Yvonne Ocran's Blog

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Hadiza Bala Usman as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) which is to take effect from11th of July,2016. Hadiza Bala Usman is a member of the Bring Back Our Girls, a group campaigning for serious action on the rescue of over 200 Chibok girls abducted two years ago. She was appointed alongside Mohammed Bello-Koko Executive Director (Finance), Prof. Idris Abubakar Executive Director (Engineering), Dr. Sekonte Davies Executive Director (Marine Operations). Hadiza Bala Usman was born on 2nd January, 1976 in Zaria, Kaduna State.She holds a B.Sc. Degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and a Post Graduate in Development Studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom in 2009. She started her Career with Centre for Democratic Development and Research Training (CEDDERT) Zaria, a Non-Governmental Organization in June 2000 as a Research Assistant,worked at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)...

Niger Delta Indigenous Movement For Radical Change (NDIMRC) on Friday disapproves the removal of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu as the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).According to a statement signed by Nelly Emma; President of the group, Secretary, John Sailor, and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Stanley Mukoro, disappointment was expressed at the sudden decision of the President to remove Kachikwu who had been labouring to calm down the militants for oil exportation to improve. Kachikwu, who for eight months had doubled as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and will now serve as the Chairman of the NNPC board, had led a Federal Government team last month to negotiate a peace deal with the militants. The group said: “Only last month, the hard-working Dr Kachikwu,against threat to his life and members of his family, took a risky trip to the troubled Niger Delta Region to see things for himself at the controversial Nigerian Maritime University, Oke...

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) escalated their destruction of oil installations to Bayelsa and Rivers States in the early hours of Friday as they blasted Nember 1, 2, 3, and Tebedaba brass trunline line. Security sources stated that the militants attacked the trunk line in two speed boats with 500 horsepower engines that facilitated their escape.They had easy access to the facilities following the scaling down of military presence in the region in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive,security unfolds. Niger Delta Avengers “Those hoodlums stormed the Nember 1,2,3 and Tebidaba trunkline in two speed boats powered with 500 horsepower engines. This facilitated their speedy escape. There is nothing the military can do about it because they have been ordered to scale down their presence in the creeks”, the security source stated. “At about the 3am to 5am the Niger Delta Avengers blew up Nembe 1, 2, 3 and Tebedaba brass trunk-line in Bayelsa/River States”, it claimed in t...

“At the early hours of today, precisely at about 5.15am, two Boko Haram terrorists suicide bombers attacked Damboa. The first suicide bomber targeted Damboa Central Mosque but due to stringent security measures, he could not gain entry.Obviously frustrated, he exploded and died near the Central mosque. However, the second bomber veered off and gained entry into another smaller mosque and detonated the bomb killing himself and 6 other worshipers and injuring one other person. The wounded has been evacuated to a hospital while efforts are on to clear the rubbles. Troops and other security agencies have been mobilized to the area.”director of public relations of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman said.

Seven persons have been reported dead due to the outbreak of violent hostilities between Inyima community in Yakurr Local Government Area and Onyadama community in Obubra Local Government Area in Cross River State. Apart from the death statistics recorded from both communities, various degrees of injuries have been sustained from gunshots and machete cuts adopted by combatants from both communities. “I advise people traveling from Calabar to Ikom or Ikom to Calabar. As at yesterday, the Inyima/ Nko people were at Onyadama Bridge shooting sporadically . Many died, many went back to their various destinations. People now use Abakaliki road. The Government should speedily intervene. Untimely death is not our portion in Jesus name,”a traveller stated.   It was gathered that the on-going war between both communities, started on Tuesday.Feelers  from motorists and road users said the fighters,mostly youths from both communities, shoot sporadically across the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja F...

After about two-hour closed session, the Senate summoned Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, to justify the forgery case against Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. The two and others are alleged to have forged the senate rule ahead of the election of principal officers in June last year. The court summon, inviting Saraki and Ekweremadu over alleged forgery of Senate Rules, was pasted on the notice board in the Senate yesterday as it had been difficult to serve the officers. The notice board bearing the summons sits at the White House section of the  National Assembly Complex. The summons from the High Court Abuja listed Saraki, Ekweremadu, immediate National Assembly Clerk Salisu Maikasuwa and Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly Benedict Efeturi, as defendants.But it was removed after a few minutes by unknown persons. The invitation of the minister followed the  adoption of a motion of national urgent importa...

After about two-hour closed session, the Senate summoned Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, to justify the forgery case against Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. The two and others are alleged to have forged the senate rule ahead of the election of principal officers in June last year. The court summon, inviting Saraki and Ekweremadu over alleged forgery of Senate Rules, was pasted on the notice board in the Senate yesterday as it had been difficult to serve the officers. The notice board bearing the summons sits at the White House section of the National Assembly Complex. The summons from the High Court Abuja listed Saraki, Ekweremadu, immediate National Assembly Clerk Salisu Maikasuwa and Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly Benedict Efeturi, as defendants. But it was removed after a few minutes by unknown persons. The invitation of the minister followed the adoption of a motion of national urgent importance entitled, “...

“I received six mutilated corpses and addressed hundreds of displaced persons including women and children. I condemn the attack as gruesome and barbaric. I, however, call for restraint on the part of my people while I urge the federal and state governments to intervene in arresting the culprits and provide relief materials to the displaced people.” Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu, said the corpses of the deceased victims had been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital, Ugbah. “You know, these Fulanis always strike in a guerrilla manner. Once they strike, they leave the area. Security has been beefed up in the area and the people can now return to their homes,” Yamu said A member of the House of Representatives that represents Logo State Constituency, Hon. Terna-­Kester Kyenge said;" The herdsmen stormed the village in the night, attacking the community members with machetes and other dangerous weapons"...

Read the advice given by Minister Of Agriculture in respect to the consumption of moin-moin prepared with nylon "There is a lot of self-poisoning going on in Nigeria now with people in Hospitals & asking to be taken to India for treatment, Please stop eating moin-moin cooked in cellophane,it releases poisoning chemicals into it,while the leaf gives antioxidant"

Boko Haram Terrorists on Thursday night killed 18 women and left several injured in Kuda-Kaya village in Madagali local council of Adamawa state. Witnesses said the insurgents, who stormed the village around 10:00 p.m., took the mourners unawares, killing mostly elderly women who could not run for their lives. The attackers came in hundreds and opened fire on the mourners, noting that men were able to escape with gun-shot wounds, Mr. Bello Ichadi the district head of Gulak reported. Member representing Madagali constituency in Adamawa State House of Assembly, Mr. Emmanuel Tsamdu, lamented the incident but said he has not confirmed the number of casualties. “I was called today this morning from my hometown that there was an attack on Thursday night, but I am yet to get the details on how it happened and the real number of people killed during the attack. It is disheartening to see this kind of attack particularly now that the military is winning the battle against insurgency i...

Former President Of Nigeria,Goodluck Jonathan via His twitter handle urged Nigerians to be patriotic by supporting the FG in its fight against terrorism He also condoles with the families of those killed by Boko Haram at a funeral.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it was ready to conclude the rerun elections in Rivers State if the political parties would guarantee peace. Speaking at a consultative meeting with critical stakeholders at the Police Officers’ Mess, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, said although the date for the conclusion of the legislative rerun election had not been fixed, INEC was prepared and ready to conduct the exercise, provided all the stakeholders in the state were willing to cooperate with and support the electoral body.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday finally provided clarification on how part of the $12.9 billion dividends it received from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company Ltd over an eight-year period on behalf of the federation was spent. The corporation also said the balance of the dividend has been moved to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), adding that it was no longer housing the money in line with the federal government’s directive on the Treasury Single Account (TSA). NNPC stated in Abuja when the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) convened a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2013 audit report of activities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, that it took and ploughed back part of the dividends to the new trains that were built  by the NLNG. It equally listed BrassLNG and OlokolaLNG projects, as well as other gas projects it did not mention, as beneficiaries of the dividend payouts. BrassLNG and OlokolaLNG projects have ...