Dennis

Bayelsa-born 18-year old female athlete, Timma Godbless, has been included in the 54-man list of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championship in Mauritius. Timma, only last week in Benin City won the 100 metres race in the invitational trial to qualify for this championship. On the AFN list also are four reigning African champions, Tobiloba Amusan (100m hurdles), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Chioma Onyekwere (Discus Throw) and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put). The 22nd African Athletics Championships is scheduled to hold between June 8 and 12, 2022 in Mauritius. Amusan will be competing in two individual events and the 4x100m relay.  She has been listed to compete in the women’s 100m alongside Godbless Timma and Praise Ofoku as well as in the 100m hurdles where she will be defending the title she first won in Asaba four years ago at the 21st edition of the Championships. Long jumper Ese Brume will be gunning for her fourth straight long jump ti

By  Kola Oredipe Mathematics is never a simple subject to a lot of people and that is for a fact. And to be successful in politics depends largely on abilities to solve many problematic equations. The mathematics here is not the simple ‘Algebra’ but the very complex topic of ‘Integration’ which has to do with the management of different human characters and issues.  This truly requires deep experience in leadership, politics and crisis management to assuage various interests that would be at play while analyzing attitudes and loyalty of interested politicians. In leadership, decisions must be taken and ahead of the recently concluded People's Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, the leadership of the party at every level displayed tact while managing the processes of picking candidates either through consensus or real contest at the party primaries. As the leader of the PDP, Gov. Diri successfully managed the processes of candidates selection in due consultations with various party st

A philanthropist, Mrs . Tombra Jennifer-Mohammed (Née Waritimi), has emerged as Young  Progressives Party, (YPP)  sole candidate for Bayelsa West Senatorial District seat in the National Assembly. The primaries which was held in Sagbama  Local Government Area of the state, saw YPP leaders and other stakeholders of the party unanimously adopted Mrs Mohammed as their sole candidate to fly the party flag come 2023.   Speaking with journalists shortly after the election, the returning officer, Mr. Michael Okosuokeme, said the adoption of Mrs Tombra Jennifer as the party’s sole candidate was as a result of her passion for service,  and  tasked the party’s standard bearer on unity and inclusive administration and prayed for her success in the general elections.   Mr. Okosuokeme, thanked  the  party leaders for given Mrs. Tombra Jennifer  the opportunity to serve the people of the senatorial and expressed the optimism that the  S enator hopeful would bring her wealth of experience to bear in

The National Examination Council on Monday announced that it has “extended the registration period of the 2022 Senior School Certificate Examination for candidates to Monday, June 20, 2022.” The council made this known in a statement made available to Newsmen. It was reported that the registration was initially scheduled to close on Monday May 30, 2022. “The 2022 NECO Senior School Certificate Examination will commence on June 27, 2022 and end on Friday August 12. “Candidates are to be examined in 76 subjects during the examination,” the examination body noted.   Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the spokesman for NECO, Azeez Sani, noted the reason for the extension.   He said, “We extended the registration deadline so that schools that have not registered will register their students. We do not plan to extend again.   “State Ministries of Education, Principals, Commandants and all stakeholders are enjoined to note that there would be no further extension after that.   Speaking in

  The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali-Baba, on Monday in Abuja decorated two newly promoted Deputy Inspectors-General of Police at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House.   The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.   The statement read, “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Baba, on Monday, May 30, 2022, decorated two newly promoted Deputy Inspectors-General of Police in his office at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja.   “This is coming on the heels of the recently released promotions by the Police Service Commission, in which the two officers’ recommendation by the IGP was approved by the commission.”   The statement added, “The Inspector-General of Police has charged the senior officers and others who have just been promoted, on quality delivery of policing services to members of the public while ensuring full compliance with the police reform agenda of the President.   “He further

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday opened up on the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primary and accused some PDP governors of sabotaging him.   Wike, who said this at a reception organised for him by the people of the state in Port Harcourt after his arrival from Abuja, venue of the primary, stated that he was not a second class citizen.   He said had told the winner of the PDP shadow election, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, that those hanging around him had no electoral value.   The governor, who came second during the party primary which was held in Abuja on Saturday, stated this as there were indications on Monday that the PDP governors would soon meet as part of moves to pick Atiku’s running mate.   He said some PDP governors ganged up with some vested interest groups to derail the quest of southern Nigeria to produce the next president.   According to him, it was the agreement of the southern governors that the presidency should come to the South, and h

  The All Progressives Congress Presidential Screening Committee, which began sitting on Monday,  questioned the party’s presidential aspirants on 10 key issues including their dual citizenship status. Some of the aspirants, who were screened by the Committee headed by a former National Chairman of the party,  the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, told Journalists that the panel asked them if they would be ready to step down for the consensus candidate of the party.   The ruling party, which initially scheduled the screening of the presidential aspirants for May 16, shifted it to May 23, but failed to hold exercise on that day.   The APC in the guidelines on page 17 of the N100m nomination form obtained by the aspirants,  barred the contestants from engaging in thuggery and taking it to court, among other seven conditions.   Although there have been reports that the party may adopt consensus, the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi, who emerged  through the method in March, in an interview wi

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Police, Mr Ben Okolo, has ordered for the arrest of the killers of a commercial motorcycle rider, Goodnews Okirinya, who was murdered   at Emeyal II community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the State. Bayelsa Daily Online  gathered that the deceased, who was reportedly killed on Sunday was an indigene of Emeyal 2 Community. It was further learnt that the deceased’s lifeless body was said to have been found on Monday morning at Bakery axis in Imiringi Community, and his motorcycle stolen. The police in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, charged Operatives in the state investigate and fish out the culprits of the dastardly act. The statement continues “The deceased rider identified as one Goodnews Okirinya 30 years, was murdered by unknown assailants, who stole his motorcycle and dumped his body in a cassava farm at Emeyal II Community” “The body was discovered on 30 May 2022 at about 0915 hours. The scene was visited

  Former Anambra State Governor, Dr. Peter Obi on Monday emerged as the Presidential candidate of  the Labour Party. Obi emerged as the presidential candidate after another presidential aspirant, Prof. Pat Utomi stepped down for him. The party’s presidential primary was held in Asaba, Delta State. Asides Utomi, another aspirant, Joseph Faduri also stepped down for Obi to emerge as the presidential candidate. Utomi had said Obi was younger than him and had the capability to effect the needed change that the country so much desired. Obi had dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last week, 72 hours to the party’s presidential election. The erstwhile governor of Anambra State, announced his withdrawal from PDP in a letter to the National Chairman of PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu. In the letter, Obi said he was writing to inform Ayu of his resignation from the PDP, which he had already conveyed to the chairman of PDP, Agulu Ward 1, Aniocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. Obi said it had

  Organisations clamouring for power shift to the South on Sunday expressed anger over the emergence of a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the 2023 presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.   The groups and individuals, in separate interviews with Newsmen, said Atiku’s emergence negated the zoning principle entrenched in the PDP constitution.   During the PDP presidential primary held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Saturday, Atiku polled 371 votes to defeat the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who got 237 votes; a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, 70 votes; the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, 38 votes; the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, 20 votes; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, 14 votes and an ex-President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa, one vote.   But delegates were surprised when the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who was one of the front