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Lagos state civil servants will now eat their cake and have it.Female civil servants that are pregnant are now entitled to six months maternity with their full salary.Initially,it was three months.

This Rivers state governor sha!The man is always showing us that he is different in many ways to most governors so far produced since democracy started in Nigeria.When hip hop star Paul Okoye of the popular Psquare went all the way to Port Harcourt for his traditional wedding with Anita Isama,celebrities from far

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday sacked all his commissioners and special advisers. Oshiomhole, who addressed a valedictory session of the State Executive Council in Benin, thanked all its members for assisting in the delivery of his programmes in his first term as well as ensuring his re-election. The governor made the surprise announcement ahead of his swearing in for a second term on Monday. He also told the commissioners and special advisers that their appointments would

The news fast making this headlines now is that Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has finally sacked the national security adviser, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi (retd).He has been replaced by Col. Sambo Dasuki, also a retired military man.Unlike Azazi who hails from the South-South, Dasuki's profile shows he is from the Sokoto caliphate.It is widely believed that he would use his influence in the northern part to solve the escalating rate of terror in the north. Also sacked alongside Mr.Azazi,according to reports are, minister of defense,Haliru Mohammed.We also heard that the Chief of Defense staff, Air Mashall Oluseyi Pentrin The security chiefs were relieved for obvious reasons-inability to find solutions to the escalating problems of Boko Haram bombings and violence in major parts of northern Nigeria

  Today, there would be a gathering of business moguls and policians at the Congress Hall,Transcorp Hilton, Abuja at  the fundaraising ceremony in honour of  former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr. Liyel Imoke. The event according to information available to gistmaster , would starts at 7 P.M under the chairmanship of Chief Tony Anenih,a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, a legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is the Chairman of the Fundraising Commitee. Mrs.Imoke Mr.Imoke  Trust,money bags are expected to raise funds toward the return of Mr. Imoke and Barrister Effiok Cobham's to government house after they were sacked by the Supreme Court.The gubernatorial election comes up very soon. I have attended the fundraising events for some state governors in the past (I remember i attended the one for Dr. Bukola Saraki in 2003) and its usually very interesting when you hear the Billionaires donating millions upon millions

This followed the recent arrest of key members of the sect and appointment of a new police chief in Nigeria. Nigerian agents appear to have made a major discovery in their investigations into the sources of funding of the Boko Haram Islamic sect. According to the Nigerian Tribune newspaper, the State Security Service (SSS) and its local and international counterparts have now traced the group's sources of funding to some Al-Qaeda-linked organisations in the Middle East. Recently arrested key figures of the group reportedly told security agents that while the organisation initially relied on donations from members, its links with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, opened it up to more funding from groups in Saudi Arabia and the UK. Nigerian Tribune said sources in Boko Haram confirmed that Al-Muntada Trust Fund, with headquarters in the United Kingdom, had extended some financial assistance to the sect. Other sources of Boko Haram funding reportedly uncovered in the investigatio

  [caption id="attachment_6740" align="alignleft" width="314" caption="Ambassador Mattew Mbu"] [/caption] Chief Mattew Mbu, an elder statesman and retired diplomat is dead.The death has been confirmed by members of his immediate family through a press statement which was made available to the media  today. Ambassator Mbu died at the age of 82 in London.He would have been 83 on November 20 this year. The burial arrangement, according to the family, would be announced later. The late Ambassador Mbu's biography shows he was born in Cross River State.After his early education inhis home town, he proceeded to Middle Temple and University College, London where he bagged his LL.B and LLM degrees in Law between 1955 and 1959. gistmaster.com gathered that Mbu was Federal minister of labor in 1954. He was appointed Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain between 1955 and 1959.In 1966, he was designated Nigeria representative in Washington DC.He was also

  [caption id="attachment_6630" align="alignleft" width="314" caption="Liyel Imoke, Governor of River State"] [/caption] Abuja - Nigeria's Supreme Court on Friday sacked five ruling party state governors for over-staying their positions in a move that has added to confusion in a nation reeling under security woes. The ruling, which overturns a decision by a lower court, affects governors from President Goodluck Jonathan's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) who took office in May 2007. Five governors won re-run elections a year after their initial victories in the 2007 polls were annulled because of irregularities. A high court ruled in January last year that they had to start a fresh term, but supreme court Judge Walter Onnoghen said on Friday that their tenure started the day they were first sworn into office. “To allow the governors seeking tenure elongation will allow a culture of impunity in the system,” he said. Affected stat

It has come to our notice that a well coordinated campaign of calumny against the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, founded on outright lies and despicable distortions is being executed by cowardly persons hiding behind the ongoing controversy over the government’s decision to deregulate the petroleum sector.   For obvious reasons, the faceless campaigners have elected to tell their lies online because the normal journalistic principles of facts and balanced reporting are generally absent there.   For instance, we have received numerous enquiries regarding an alleged threat by the Coordinating Minister to resign if the government goes back on its decision to end the fuel subsidies. The threat was supposedly made during the emergency Federal Executive Council meeting which held yesterday.   This speculation, like numerous others is absolutely false. DR OKONJO-IWEALA WAS NOT AT THE MEETING BECAUSE SHE WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT WAS GOING ON. In other word

Nigerians in the UK have concluded arrangement to protest against the recent fuel subsidy removal by the Nigerian President, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan and members of his national executive council.  The London Metropolitan Police hours ago granted permit to Nigerian Students In Diaspora

 Just as millions of people all over the world are celebrating Christmas, several people in abuja are morning deaths of their loved ones in Abuja when suspected Islamist group, Boko Haram denotated explosives killing unspecified number of people.   The christmas day bombing, gistmaster gathered, happened inside the St Theresa Catholic Church located on the outskirts of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Eye witnesses disclosed that several persons died in the bomb explosion .   Security agents from the military and police force are already on group at the scene of the incident.Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) are also there to help evacuate the dead and injured victims at the scene of the unfortunate incident.   Boko Haram, an Islamist group had claimed responsibility for various bomb attacks in Northern Nigeria and Abuja. It would be recalled that the explosion that rocked the United Nations office in Abuja and Police Headquarters in Abuja

Ghana’s ruling government has concluded plans to begin export of electric power to Nigeria and other West African countries by 2015. The country’s Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who unfolded the plan in Accra, on Tuesday, said the government has already embarked on extensive expansion of power infrastructure to enable them achieve the project. Mahama explained that a key motivation for the investment was that Ghana presently has competitive advantage in the area of power supply over other neighbouring countries, including Nigeria, which is still grappling with massive power deficit for its estimated 150 million citizens. The vice president, who spoke at a summit on Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact Two in Accra, said the country intends to consolidate on its existing energy infrastructures by exploring alternative sources of supply, including solar power and biomass resources, to ensure that the target of selling power to other West African countrie

 Chief Olabode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not hide his angst against the plan by the Lagos State government to bill motorists that travel on Lekki-Epe Road, saying it would be a rip off without the provision of  an alternative route. He also spoke on his Abacha days, his trial and conviction for contract splitting as well as the fate of the PDP in Lagos and the South-West. Lasisi Olagunju, General Editor, and Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Deputy Editor, bring the excerpts. YOU were at the Aso Rock Villa during the time of General Sani Abacha, you worked with General Oladipo Diya. How was it? It was a most trying period because when we started, there were some misgivings after the annulled election of June 12, 1993. I remember that young officers were fed up; they wanted to pull out and go to the barracks and let civil authorities be in charge. The military was divided. I remember when they were going to appoint administrators,

    The result of the Kogi State governorship election shows that Captain Idris Wada is the winner. He scored 300,372 votes as against the 159,913 votes scored by his closest rival,Abubakar Audu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) . However, www.niyitabiti.blogspot.com gathered that Audu a former governor of the state and his party, ACN are disatisfied with the conduct of the election, alleging rigging by the PDP.Plans is already in top gear to challenge the election result in court.   The newly elected governor of Kogi State is a rich and famous pilot and businessman with about 30 years of career experience. -By Niyi Tabiti

Chief Emeka Ojukwu, a former governor of the old eastern region is dead. Ojukwu, who has been hospitalised for moths died on his hospital bed in London, where he has been receiving treatment. Ojukwu who holds the title of Ikemba of Nnewi, amongst other titles would be given a state burial in Anambra State with the support of other governors in Igbo land.    Gistmaster gathered the federal government is also expected to play a pivotal role in the burial of the late elder stateman who led the Biafra war.   Ojukwu's biography : Ojukwu was born in 1933 at Zugeru in the northern part of Nigeria to sir Louis Phillipe Ojukwu, one of Nigeria's richest men at that time. He was a radical who hates discrimination and cheating. The young Ojukwu got into trouble in 1944 for assaulting one his teachers- a whitewoman who matreated a black woman.  After secondary school, Ojuwku studied History in the United Kingdom. On his return, Gistmaster, gathered that Ojukwu joined the Nigerian Army a

  A former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has floated his own airline. Tinubu bought the moribund Bellview Airlines for amount which obviously set him back with millions of Naira. Already, the new refurbished airline company is expected to be one of the aviation industry top players within a short time. The airline has already been renamed First Nation Airline. Recruitment into the company has already been carried out some months ago.

Col. Muammar Gaddaffi the despotic ruler who held Libya to ransome for all of 42 years is dead. The death has been confirmed by the Vice Chairman of the National Transitional Council.  The fighting inside Gadaffi's home town of Sirte has been going on for sometime. But the Transitional Council declared victory over it when it overwhelmed Gaddafi's troop and conquered them. More coming soon! The amazing part of the story is the man who shot at the former Libyan ruler, Muammar Gaddafi. Let keep our fingers crossed,it would be revealed soon.

  After working many years in brand marketing and later UBA Plc, Tony Ebireri the handsome husband of one of Nigeria ’s popular actresses, Chika Ike, has veered into politics.   Latest news from Delta State says that Tony has put all the problems in with Chika behind him, now he is focused on his ambition to become the next Chairman of Sapele Local Government in Delta State . Ebireri, a close associate of Great Ogboru is contesting under the umbrella of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) Tony could not be reached on Sunday via phone but someone who is in the know says he is ready to deliver the dividends of democracy to people in the grassroots.

  Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State was today arraigned before an Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta on 16 count charges of corruption. The EFCC who made the charges against Daniel said he used his position as a former state chief executive to steal and divert public funds for person use. According to what Gistmater gathered from EFCC  Otunba Gbenga Daniel allegedly converted the sum of $3 million(a dollar is now N158 to $1) from the domiciliary account of Ogun state with FCMB (First City Monument Bank) into personal use.  EFCC said Daniel used the money to buy equity stake in a private company, Glanvill Enthoven & company Nigeria Limited.The offence is punishable under section 390 (4) of the criminal code CAP 29 laws of Ogun State. EFCC also alleged that the ex governor used his position to fraudulently withdrew the sum of $1 million (USD) from the same domiciliary account of Ogun State with FCMB to buy shares in 21st Century Technology Limited. The anti-gr

  Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab, the Nigerian terror suspect who was caught in failed attempt to blow up an international flight near Detroit Airport, USA has pleaded guilty to charges brought against him by the American Government.   When Addulmuttalab  was asked by the district Judge Nancy Edmunds, he pleaded guilty to the act of terrorism and attempted murder. Most people were shocked.This is Abdulmutallab's second day in court.He had earlier told FBI agents that he was sent by agents of Al-Qaida.He was influenced by Anwar Al-Awlaki the American born radical Muslim cleric killed in Yemen recently in a air strike conducted by the US.  Mutallab, whose father is a rich businessman and former Chairman of First Bank Nigeria Plc, faces prison sentence up to life imprisonment.  Abdulmuttallab was arrested inside a Northwest airlines flight 253 on christmas day in 2009 after the under wear bomb he targeted at all passengers of the flight and himself failed to worked.