Welcome to Francis Ndimkoha's Blog.

   After a careful observation of the recent happenings in the National Assembly in general, and House of Representatives in particular, Honourable Chike Okafor, one of the new legislators who shot into public glare when in his very first speech on the floor of the House, seconded the motion for the nomination of the current speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has called a press conference in Abuja and issued the following press statement.                                                 NASS RESUMPTION AND THE APPORTIONING OF PRINCIPAL OFFICES IN THE LOWER CHAMBERS On Tuesday, July 28, 2015 the House of Representatives reconvened and the remaining principal offices were filled, marking the beginning of full legislative business. You may recall that the South East APC had nominated me for the post of Deputy Majority Whip; ...

There is an igbo adage which says when a kid washes his hands he wines and dines with Kings. Whoever wishes to discover the difference between a compassionate visionary and towering chief servant needs to look up to no other than Chief Uche Nwosu, ugwumba 1 of Eziama Obaire. As a commissioner for lands survey and urban planning he left unassailable, enduring and endearing legacies and footprints. Chief Uche Nwosu's appointment as the chief of staff by His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON) is apt and commendable. A graduate of urban and regional planning, Imo state university, where he emerged as the first Director of Transport, of the Students' Union Government, a member of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planning (NITP) and also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of administrator of Nigeria (CIAN). With his midas touch, professional competence and managerial dexterity he brought about massive transformation in the ministry of lands survey and urban planning. Under...

The Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday sued The Union newspaper, based in Lagos, for reporting that he declared assets worth N90billion before the Code of Conduct Bureau. The governor, who personally filed the case at the state High Court, was accompanied by his deputy, Bala Bantex, his lawyers and top government officials. Speaking shortly after signing the writ of summons at the court registry, Mr. El-Rufai denied having assets worth N90 billion. He described The Union newspaper story as “untrue and malicious”. “Let them come and prove that I am as rich as they claimed,” he said. “I hope I lose the suit because if I have all these money, I would do a lot more for Kaduna State with the money.” Although he told reporters that he had declared his asset even before his swearing in on May 29, he, however, did not disclose the total amount of assets declared at the Code of Conduct Bureau. The Union newspaper had on June 1 published a story alleging that Mr. El...

  The joint celebrants History was made in humility on 26th July, 2015, as Deacon Chike Okafor shunned the trappings of his position as a federal legislator to sing and entertain the crowd, during an event he had organised for his aide, while his wife, Deaconess Akudo Chike Okafor was all over the place, serving the guests! Mr. Ugochukwu Iwuala (Omega) and Mr. Chimezie Agu (Mez) are both Personal assistants to Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor, member Representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. Their wives had put birth in the same week, just after their boss had won his election, in the 2015 polls. So, in a well organised event, they jointly celebrated with family and friends as well political associates across party divides. The thanksgiving service took place at Christ Embassy Church, along Onitsha Road, off NNPC mega filling station, while the reception took place at Links Hotel, New Owerri. The event was graced by the SSG o...

As spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan, my phones rang endlessly and became more than personal navigators within the social space. They defined my entire life; dusk to dawn, all year-round. The phones buzzed non-stop, my email was permanently active; my twitter account received tons of messages per second.  The worst moments were those days when there was a Boko Haram attack virtually every Sunday. The intrusion into my private life was total as my wife complained about her sleep being disrupted by phones that never seemed to stop ringing. Besides, whenever I was not checking or responding to the phones, I was busy online trying to find out if the APC had said something contrarian or some other fellow was up to any mischief. A media manager in the 21st century is a slave of the Breaking News, a slave particularly of the 24-hour news cycle, and a potential nervous breakdown case. Debo Adesina, my colleague at The Guardian once said I was running a “one week, one trouble sche...

ABUJA—THERE appears to be a crack within the ranks of the Femi Gbajabiamila camp in the House of Representatives as some members of group have disassociated themselves from the letter emanating from the camp to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on the sharing of principal offices. The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara had last Thursday replied the national chairman on why the letter from the national leadership that contained the names of four nominees for the remaining four principal offices was not read on the floor of the House. Dogara, Oyegun and long standing tradition Dogara told Chief Oyegun that there had been a long standing tradition on the sharing of principal offices, which was always guided by the principle of federal character and that the 8th Assembly has decided to maintain the tradition for the sake of fairness to all the six geo-political zones. But the Gbajabiamila group on Monday, faulted the Speaker’s position all...

PHOTOS: LIONEL MESSI IN GABON, CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN BY THE COUNTRY'S PRESIDENT Four-time world player of the year, Lionel Messi was hosted in Gabon on Saturday July 18th by the country's President, Ali Bongo, for the brick laying of their new 22,000 seat stadium. He was chauffeur driven by the president himself around the streets of Libreville. Messi officially started the building process at the Port-Gentil stadium, which will host Africa Cup of Nations matches in 2017. He came dressed in a casual pair of denim shorts and t-shirt "When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville" said the Gabon president. "It's a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.". There are reports that he was paid 3.5m Euros by Ali Bongo to make the appearance and it's causing serious wahala in the country. Gabonese are angry about the obscene amount and say their presiden...

Barrister Calistus Nwabueze Obi has taken over as the Acting Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) following the handing over by Dr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi as directed by the Federal Government. Barrister Obi who until this appointment was the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services in the Agency brings over two decades experience in the public sector, law practice and the maritime industry to this new responsibility. Ag. DG NIMASA, Calistus Obi Born on May 1, 1964 Barrister Obi who hails from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State studied Law at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991 after duly completing the mandatory studies at the Law School. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The Acting DG is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), member of the International ...

Disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter was sensationally sprayed with fake dollar notes by British comedian Simon Brodkin who gatecrashed his press conference in Zurich this afternoon. Simon, who also goes by the name, Jason Bent & Lee Nelson, who is a well known prankster, walked up to Blatter’s position behind a table at the front of the stage and placed a sum of money on the table and said: ‘This is for North Korea 2026′, before throwing the money into the air, which rained down on Blatter. Simon was later taken away by Swiss police…

Her husband thought she was cheating, so he threw her a surprise party to catch her in the act, This story has been making it's rounds on the internet lately, and although the original source is unknown, it's too good not to share. If you've ever been with a cheater, or knew someone who was a cheater, you know, the desire to expose that person is too real. I can just imagine the satisfaction a person feels after exposing a cheater for what they truly are. I don't personally have any stories, but I'll live vicariously though this genius husband who thought up the perfect scheme to expose his cheating wife. "So I had a feeling she was cheating, as she set off a lot of red flags. Constantly laughing and smiling when texting, saying it was just her mother when I asked. Needing to stay late every night after work. When I'd call in her co-workers said she left hours ago. When I asked her what was going on she'd laugh it off and say it wa...

Becomes the first Nigerian President to be hosted in Blair House, being the personal guest house of the U.S President. Ambassador James F. Entwistle , United States Ambassador to Nigeria received President Buhari at the Joint Base Andrews Airport in Washington, DC. Pastor Tunde Bakare, Rochas Okorocha, Abiola Ajimobi, Rotimi Amaechi in Blair House Femi Adesina and Shehu Garba More pix

Thus Gowon turned down Richard Nixon's invitation to visit America President Muhammadu Buhari is on his way to the United States to honour an invitation for a state visit to Washington, extended to him by President Barack Obama on June 25. Mr. Buhari would be in the U.S. for four days, meeting President Obama, top level officials of the American government, American business leaders, Nigerians in the Diaspora and members of the American War College Class of 1980 in which he was a participant. But let’s flash back to 1971, 44 years ago, when a Nigerian leader – Yakubu Gowon – diplomatically spurned the kind of invitation Mr. Buhari is honouring today. [We are publishing this just for historical purpose only]. According to declassified diplomatic documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon, had written to then Nigeria Head of State, Major General Gowon, requesting him to make a state visit to his country in October of that year. M...