Welcome to Solomon Ike's blog

United States President, Barrack Obama has named a Nigerian-American journalist and Anti-human Trafficking advocate, Bukola Love Oriola as a member of the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. In a statement by the office of the Press Secretary, White House on December 16, Obama said he was honoured that Oriola and ten others appointed to serve on the council have decided to serve the country. “They bring their years of experience and expertise to this Administration, and I look forward to working with them,” Obama stated.

Nigeria, which is still battling Boko Haram militants, now risks unleashing a new Islamist threat after violent clashes between the army and a radical Shiite group, experts say. Though no official death toll was released, at least a dozen members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) were killed in confrontations with the army during a religious procession last week in the northern city of Zaria.

 Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai The Nigerian Army authorities have disclosed that the death sentences by firing squad passed on 66 soldiers in January and March 2015 by separate General Court Martials have  been commuted to 10 years imprisonment each.

Muhammdu Buhari Bassey Inyang in Calabar Former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Clement Ebri, has stated that the emergence of Muhammdu Buhari as Nigeria’s President after the 2015 general elections saved the country from complete collapse. According to Ebri, who presided over government affairs in the state between October 1991 and November 27, 1993, the country was at precipice when Buhari took over the leadership of the country on May 29, this year.

Col. Sambo Dasuki Senator Iroegbu in Abuja A  Federal Capital Territory( FCT) High Court has granted the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki( rtd.) and four others bail, on the condition that they provide N250 million bond each and a surety in like sum. Dasuki who is facing a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N13,570,000,000, was granted bail yesterday by Justice Huessein Baba-Yusuf.

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu   New pricing template out Q1 2016 Chineme Okafor in Abuja Following recent disclosure by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu that government would review and present new cost-reflective pricing template for domestic petrol sales and consumption, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) yesterday said that they had begun work on it and that a new template would be out by the first quarter of 2016.

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) yesterday identified the Nigerian Breweries Plc as a major player in the nation’s economy in view of the dwindling revenue profile of the country as a result of the continuous downside in the oil revenue.

            There is nothing wrong with fighting corruption. All those indicted must be severely punished according to the laws of our land. This has always been my position. However, running after treasury looters is a different thing from running the economy of a country. These are obviously two different things. A government should not spend all its time and resources fighting corruption at the expense of its core mandate of running the economy of the country and providing succor to the people. Institutions set up to fight corruption should be allowed to do their jobs while the government concentrates on its core mandate.

The price of 50 cent's Connecticut mansion which he put on sale when he filed for bankruptcy has been slashed from $18.5 m to $8.5m. The mansion has 21-bedrooms and 25-bathrooms in Farmington, Connecticut, but it seems nobody wants to buy the home.

Some people are of the opinion that stars are born, and not made. Whatever camp you pitch your tent with, Young Bobby and Lexeye will convince you that stars are made in heaven, and shine on earth. LexEye and Bobby Robert Albert Akpan aka Young Bobby is a 14 years old teenager, who together with his 11-year-old sister, Alexis Albert Akpan, are already making their mark in the music landscape.The duo, who are both still in secondary school, have recorded more than 30 songs, which would make even artistes twice their age go green with envy. Some of their songs are ‘Dreams,’ ‘Prodigy,’ ‘Miracle,’ ‘Move On,’ ‘Like to Party,’ and ‘Famous.’

FOLLOWING its defeat at the  March 28  Presidential election and ahead of the 2019 Presidential election, the National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP disclosed yesterday that it has concluded arrangements to meet its founding fathers next year and beg them for forgiveness as part of moves to reposition the party.

PORT HARCOURT: GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike yesterday evening presented N307 billion 2016 appropriation bill to the Rivers state House of Assembly. The appropriation bill tagged budget of consolidation came barely two weeks the governor presented a supplementary budget of N104.2 for 2015 to the assembly. The governor explained that his administration made a budgetary proposal of N187 billion fir capital expenditure while N120 billion was budgeted for recurrent expenditure. Promising that the government will strengthen process of diversification of sources of income to the state governor Wike said the budget will be largely financed from the federal allocation and internally generated revenue, IGR. At press time proceeding was still on in the House to pass the bill into law. Meantime, Speaker of the House, Hon Ibani Ikuinyi Owaji lauded the governor’s vision for the state.

As Nigeria’s leading online music platform, tooxclusive gears up for its yearly online based awards, Nigerian popular music star, Olamide has succeeded in displacing top music star, Davido as the most nominated singer by leading with ten nominations on the online music platform’s 4th yearly awards. Olamide Speaking to press men on the idea behind the project, the CEO of the platform said, “ The award is basically to celebrate entertainers’ contributions to the entertainment industry and excellence in their works”. Also, the platform have officially unveiled nominees to be featured in over 18 voting categories for the 2015 edition of the yearly awards.

The sleepy city of Akure, the Ondo State capital reverberated last Sunday night, when Nollywood stars and other stakeholders took turns to walk the red carpet and pose for shots as this year’s edition of the Best of Nollywood Awards, BON, held amid glitz and glamour in the state. The awards ceremony, which held at the Ultra-Modern Dome of the International Event Centre, Akure, indisputably shook the ancient city to its very foundation.

Model born without legs stars in empowering lingerie campaign 23-year-old Kanya Sesser who was born without legs didn't just defy the odds to be a multi-sport athlete - she's also now forging a career as an underwear model.   Sesser was born without legs in Thailand, her parents abandoned her on the steps of a Buddhist temple. But since then, she has overcome the odds on to prove that her handicap doesn't limit her by mastering skateboard, skiing, and surfing - and landing a campaign with the underwear company PantyProp.

President Obama made Christmas-time commutations of 95 federal prisoners on Friday and issued pardons to two others, the White House announced. Most of the commutations dealt with drug offenses, though the pardons involved counterfeiting and bank fraud. Obama has now commuted the prison sentences of 184 people, surpassing the combined number of those granted by presidents Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush (117), the White House said in a statement.

The African Union said on Friday it was preparing to send 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi to protect civilians caught up in a growing crisis, for the first time using powers to deploy troops to a member country against its will. Burundi dismissed the announcement, saying no foreign force would get in without permission. But its neighbours have grown increasingly alarmed about the violence in the central African state which the United Nations says is on the brink of civil war.

As the Globacom-sponsored reality TV competition, Dance With Peter, draws to a hyper close, the 10 remaining contestants will this weekend slug it out in a bid to emerge among the final seven that would proceed to the grand finale next week. The contestants who will slug it out include C-Fly, Julius Fakta, G-Xtreme, Tee Jay, T-Rubber, Amazing Amy, Kelvin, Miracle, Da Octopus and Mali Hot Boy. These ten have survived twelve weeks of intense competition in the academy.

Look, Christmas is just six days away That is true. Why the countdown? Need you ask? Can’t you see how the country is? How can we celebrate Christmas with these myriad of problems? What problems? I shudder at your questions? Are you not in this same country? With no light, no water, no petrol, no dollars, no salary payments, no anything, the economy is stiff and you still ask what are the problems?