Churchill Choken

Report has emerged on the reason the presidency quickly removed the name of billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, from the President Muhammadu Buhari's presidential campaign council. The presidency was said to have removed Dangote's name from the list of appointees that was recently released due to a quiet protest by the business mogul, The Guardian reports. The source said: “There is no other reason the APC has for including the name of Dangote on its campaign committee other than seeking to gain undeserved popularity. But in doing so, the APC and the Presidency have been so wicked and mischievous. "We are aware that the businessman has protested against his inclusion but won’t want to make a media issue out of it.” According to another source, Dangote’s quiet protest was what prompted the reversal by the presidency on Friday, December 28. He said: “Also, information at our disposal is that Dangote threatened to open up against the Presidency and the APC if they failed ...

Some suspected armed bandits reportedly killed an unspecified number of Nigerian Army personnel at a forest in Doburu, a town in the Zurmi local government area of Zamfara state on Saturday, December 29, 2018. The Cable reports that the information was relayed by a military source who also said may of his colleagues sustained injuries in the incident. According to the source, some of those injured were receiving treatment at Zurmi General Hospital. It was learnt that the officer who led troops into the forest was captured by the bandits. “We ran into an ambush in the forest today. “The bandits opened fire on us and we responded but they surrounded us from different directions. They had bombs and sophisticated weapons,” the source said.

As little kids, we used to look forward to our birthdays because we were sure to be pampered and treated like a star. For parents it was also an exciting affair seeing their child look happy. Nigerian celebrity parents have been known to share good times with their kids on social media. When their kids add a year to their age, it is an even more splendid occasion. Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, recently took to her social media handle to show of her first daughter, Purity, who clocked six on December 30, 2018. The excited mother of three shared photos of the birthday girl online as she explained how much she means to her. The pretty thespian also made sure to share a photo and video of her kids enjoying the celebration. See below: Happy sixth birthday to Purity. It looks like the month of December is always going to be a celebratory one for the actress and her family. Her second daughter, Angel, clocked three on December 11 and the movie star also took to social media to cele...

Religion is a big part of people's lives, especially those in Nigeria. Many would go to any length to obtain the favour and mercy of whoever they consider to be the supreme Being. Because pastors and men of God are usually to be messengers of the Sovereign, they usually receive a fair share of the loyalties people give to the Divine. The assertion above recently proved itself true through what can be regarded as a quizzical and surprising situation. A video showing an undisclosed man of God as he walked into his own church has been making rounds online and attracting the attention of people. What is remarkable about the video is not the man or the car he came down as he walked into his church. Rather, it is the attitude and disposition of his church members at his arrival that has got many people talking. As seen in the video, as soon as the man's car approached, the members of his church who were loitering around the environment instantly knelt down and put their two hands tog...

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja for Sokoto to pay a condolence visit to late president Shehu Shagari's family - The former president died on Friday, December 28, after a brief illness - Buhari was represented by the SGF, Boss Mustapha, during Shagari's burial in Sokoto on Saturday, December 29 President Muhammadu Buhari has left Abuja for Sokoto on a condolence visit over the death of former president Shehu Shagari. Premium Times reports that the president’s plane took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja some few minutes after 9 am on Sunday, December. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president was received at the airport by the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, his deputy Manir Dan-Iya, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, and Senator Aliyu Wammako. It was reported that also on ground to receive the president were traditional and religious leaders as well as his admirers and supporters. Buhari in his speech said: “The late president repr...

This festive season is all about love, affection and support and many Nigerian celebrities who know the essence of this have been demonstrating a lot of goodwill during this period. One of these celebs is Daniella Okeke. The lady who is a Nollywood actress did something really special during the celebration of the festive season, and that is, she took the spirit of the season, bundled it into a lot of gifts and goodies, and then, went to Kirikiri prison to unload it. In essence, Daniella celebrated the season by going to Kirikiri prison to spend some time with the female inmates. The beautiful lady also went with a lot of good stuff which she blessed the women with. During the outing, Daniella took quite a number of shots which she later shared with her fans on Instagram. The photos posted showed that the actress was not alone during the dispensation of goodwill to the inmates. She was with several team members who were part of a foundation owned by her. The foundation was aimed toward...

Update:: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to meet the South's President Moon Jae-in "frequently" next year to discuss denuclearisation of the peninsula in a rare letter sent to Seoul, Moon's office said Sunday. The leader of the isolated North met with Moon three times this year -- twice at the border truce village of Panmunjom and once in the North's capital Pyongyang -- as a reconciliatory push gathered pace. During Moon's visit to Pyongyang in September, Kim promised to pay a return visit to the South's capital Seoul "at an earliest date," sparking speculation he may visit by the end of this year. But the much-anticipated trip has not yet materialised, which left the young ruler feeling "much regret," according to Kim's letter sent to mark the end of the year, Moon's spokesman said. The North's leader "expressed a strong determination to visit Seoul while watching future situation," Kim Eui-kyeom told repo...

Update:: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied that some governors elected on its platform, were secretly working to help President Muhammadu Buhari win next year’s election. There have been speculations, that some of these Governors, especially from the South-East, have promised Buhari votes. However, speaking to Vanguard, Kola Ologbodiyan, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, insisted it was a ploy by the All Progressives Congress (APC), to rig the 2019 poll. “I find it strange that any member of the PDP will pledge a particular percentage of votes for President Buhari. If that is true, it confirms our fear that there are plans to rig the 2019 elections by writing figures. You cannot determine a percentage of votes that will go in any direction in a free, fair and credible election. You do not know the mindset of every voter. “I do not think that it is attainable to pledge a certain percentage of votes; all I know is that the governors on the platform of the PDP are supportin...

Update:: Nigeria may have opened a new chapter in its efforts to give the country’s automotive industry a lift as it commences talks with renowned automakers, including Volkswagen, on its electric vehicle project. With fossil fuel being phased out and mobility largely powered by electricity and batteries, the government says it will not augur well to stick with the old order while others are moving ahead. It is also holding talks with power station manufacturers. But some experts, who are sceptical about the project, express worry about the power problem and the seeming lack of direction for the nation’s automotive industry and high cost of fuel-powered automobiles, making it difficult for many to buy new vehicles. The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Mr Jelani Aliyu, insists that electric vehicles are desirable in Nigeria as the world’s attention is focused on vehicle electrification. He says the country cannot afford to be left behind. This...

Fatai Owoseni, and nine other senior police officers have retired from the Nigeria police - They were pulled out from the Force on Saturday, December 29, after 35 years in service - Among the retiring officers were AIG Abdul Bube, AIG Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, CP Agyole Abeh, CP Joseph Agaji and CP Gbemisola Akinpelu Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos state, Fatai Owoseni, and nine other senior police officers, were pulled out from the Force on Saturday after 35 years in service. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Owoseni was police commissioner in Lagos from July 1, 2015 to September 1, 2017. NAN reports that the retiring officers were pulled out at a colourful ceremony in Lagos amidst cheers by family members, colleagues and other dignitaries. Deputy inspector general of police, Force Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department (FCIID), Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, who represented I-G Ibrahim Idris, commended the retiring officers for their service to the nation. “Congratul...

Update:: Lucy Hale would "love" to take part in a musical production. The former 'Pretty Little Liars' actress is looking to branch out into musical theatre after wrapping the final season of the hit ABC drama last year, as she says she's already been to several auditions, although she's yet to secure a role. When asked if she'd be interested in musical theatre, she said: "I actually auditioned for the 'Rent' that they're doing right now. I've auditioned for a couple of them, and I've gotten close, and then things just didn't work out. So, yes, I would definitely love to do that." Lucy, 29, already has plenty of singing experience, as prior to landing her role as Aria in 'Pretty Little Liars', she was crowned as one of the winners of 'American Juniors' - the 'American Idol' spin-off show that lasted just one season back in 2003. On top of her talent show victory, she also dropped a country album in...

Update:: Lady Gaga gave an emotional speech about feeling "misunderstood" at the opening show of her Las Vegas residency on Friday (28.12.18). The 32-year-old singer kicked off her 'Enigma' residency in the Nevada city this week, and performed 'A Star Is Born' song 'Shallow' - which she recorded with co-star Bradley Cooper - live for the first time. But before launching into the track - in which she sang both her and Bradley's parts - she gave a moving speech, thanking her fans for always sticking by her and helping her feel more confident in herself, as she said she felt "misunderstood" early in her career after being treated differently because of the way she dressed and talked. She told the audience: "I love you so much. I've known some of you for so long. And for a really long time, I felt so misunderstood. I thought the way I dressed, the way I talk, the attitude, they thought it was shallow. But this s**t is deep as f**k. ...

Update:: A Swiss man living in Morocco was arrested in Marrakesh on Saturday, for alleged links to suspects in the recent murder of two female Scandinavian hikers, authorities said. The man is "suspected of teaching some of those arrested in this case about communication tools involving new technology and of training them in marksmanship", Morocco's central office for judicial investigations said in a statement. The counter-terror organ added he subscribed to "extremist ideology" and also has Spanish citizenship. The ongoing investigation into the double murder uncovered the man was involved in the "recruitment of Moroccans and sub-Saharans to carry out terrorist plans in Morocco", the statement said. Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland were found dead at an isolated hiking spot in the High Atlas mountains, south of Marrakesh on December 17. The two women were beheaded, authorities have said. Ahead of...

The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi has said that what Nigeria needs now is a team with a firm understanding of global economic realities to plan the re-engineering of the country along those realities. He said this at Isuofia in the House of Chief Ozomma Uba during the stakeholders meeting of Aguata people on December 27, 2018. Obi who said his visit was by accident, as he had merely come to see a friend, assured that Atiku/ Obi candidacy has the requisite knowledge to turn the economy around, create jobs and tackle unemployment, which, according to him, is the roots of many crimes in the country. Speaking during the event, the Managing Director of Pokobros Nig Ltd and a renowned industrialist, Chief Paul Okonkwo said that the election of Atiku and Obi would mark the beginning of Nigeria's economic rebirth, going by their antecedent of wealth- creation and sound management of resources. Recalling Obi's tenure as the governor of Anambra s...

Update:: Ariana Grande has canceled a Las Vegas concert due to “health issues,” the singer said. The 25-year-old singer, one of the most popular in the United States, was set to perform at The Cosmopolitan hotel today. “Vegas, I’m currently working through some health issues and am beyond sorry I won’t be able to see you this weekend,” she wrote on Instagram. Entertainment website TMZ reported that Grande had bronchitis, citing sources close to the singer. A representative for Grande was not immediately available for comment. Grande finished 2018 with her song “Thank U, Next” at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the sixth week. Her year also saw the death of ex-boyfriend and rapper Mac Miller in September and her break up with fiance Pete Davidson in October.

- Nigerian actress Cossy Ojiakor has taken to social media to list her goals for 2019 - The actress noted that part of her goals for 2019 is to become someone's housewife or babymama - She also noted that she doesn't want to work on anything with too much workload Cossy Ojiakor, a Nigerian actress who became popular due to her endowed figure, has taken to social media to share her goals for 2019. The actress also noted that she was overworked this year. In a post shared on Instagram, Ojiakor revealed that she had been depressed and overworked this year. She also noted that she was unable to meet her goals for 2018. The actress who set new goals for 2019, revealed that she would like to become a housewife with little working. She added that using her brain too much in 2018 stressed her out. According to her, in 2019 she wants to become someone's housewife and babymama. She also noted that she wants a simple life with little workload, shopping and having lots of fun. Read her...

Update:: Nigerian M.C Nathaniel Adejoh has passed on - A Facebook user identified Agnes Jack shared the sad news on social media - The deceased died shortly after a battle with heart related ailment - He tied the knot in April 2018 and left behind his pregnant wife A Facebook user identified as Agnes Jack shared the sad news on social media and revealed that he was a free spirit who wanted everyone around him to be happy. Sources claim that late Adejoh died after a battle with heart related ailment. His family and friends held a candle night to pay their last respects on December 28 and his remains are to be buried in his home town, Kogi on December 29. Late Nathaniel left behind his pregnant wife. May his soul rest in peace. Meanwhile, just recently, a young Muslim bride-to-be identified as Fawziya Tataru died few hours to her wedding ceremony in Bauchi. The deceased died of an undisclosed ailment shortly after his wedding Walima to Abduljalil Salisu.

- Senator Ike Ekweremadu has eulogised the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari - The deputy senate president said the death of Shagari is a great loss to Nigeria as a nation - According to him, Shagari was a true democrat and an elder statesman The deputy senate president, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed deep grief over the passing on of the Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Ekweremmadu said on Friday in Enugu that Shagari’s death was a heavy loss to the nation. He noted that the late elder statesman was a “sage and democrat”. “I received with a heavy heart the news of the passing on of the Second Republic President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. “He was a democrat by nature, orientation and conviction. “He was a patriot par excellence, a detribalised elder statesman, bridge-builder, servant-leader, and an epitome of humility, who served the nation and humanity most creditably. “In and out of office, Shagari clothed the office of the President with...

Update:: This reaction is coming on the heels of stories making rounds that Ogun State Chapter of IPAC on Thursday adopted a governorship candidate during the party’s flag-off in Abeokuta, the state capital. IPAC’s National Media Committee Secretary, Akinloye Oyeniyi, debunked the purported adoption and warned state chapters against dragging the body into such unnecessary mess or risk being dissolved by the national secretariat. He stated: “We have gotten report of what transpired in Ogun State today and necessary redress is ongoing. The national secretariat has spoken to the state Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, and his Assistant Secretary, Obasanjo Obasesan, and they have both denied carrying out such act. “IPAC is the parent body for the entire 91 registered political parties in Nigeria where ideas on how to better enhance, coordinate, engage and moderate the nation’s political atmosphere in a drive to better the electoral system and promote equality amongst the political pa...

Update:: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Brazil, four days to the Jan. 1 inauguration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro. Netanyahu opened the first visit to Brazil by a leader of Israel on Friday, saying he hopes for a strong partnership between the two countries. Netanyahu arrived in Rio de Janeiro early before the inauguration to meet with the incoming far-right leader and several other top members of the new administration. The two men’s first interaction was at lunch in Copacabana Fort. They then visited a local synagogue. “Through our mutual cooperation, enormous benefits will be created for our two peoples,” Netanyahu said following their meeting. Bolsonaro said he wants to increase economic and security bonds between Brazil and Israel. “More than partners, we will be brothers,” he said. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, will be staying in Rio until Tuesday, when they will fly to Brasilia for the inauguration of the new president. The pr...

Notore Chemical Industries Plc has recorded a N2.01bn loss in its 2018 financial year. The financial statements of the company, which was made available to the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Thursday, showed that the company’s finance cost of N10.8bn made the company record the N2.01bn loss, compared with a profit of N8.7bn in 2017. An analysis of the financial statements showed that the company’s total revenue of N26.8bn reduced by 25.2 per cent when compared to the N35.9bn recorded in the same period in 2017. The company said in a statement on Friday that it expected its revenue to improve in 2019 after the completion of its plant Turn-Around-Maintenance programme. According to the audited results, Notore Chemicals recorded a reduction in the cost of sales, from N25.5bn in 2017 to N17.2bn in 2018. Administrative expenses increased from N4.4bn to N6.2bn, while sales and distribution expenses rose from N320m to N530m in 2018. The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer...

Update:: Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, which held behind closed doors, Osoba disclosed that the President endorsed the candidature of Abiodun and other contestants in the 2019 elections. Osoba further stated that Buhari raised Abiodun’s hand, just as he endorsed other party contestants for the forthcoming elections, assuring the APC candidates of his support towards success in the polls. “Mr. President has confirmed that his candidate in Ogun State is Prince Dapo Abiodun and that he has no other candidate. APC is his party in Ogun State and he has no other party in Nigeria other than the APC. “He assured us that he will personally come to Ogun State to formally present Abiodun as his candidate and assured that he is clarifying any ambiguity whatsoever of any name dropping; blackmail; misinformation that anybody maybe peddling that all elections in the country, not just Ogun, people must vote for APC and no other party. “That is the message that ...

Update:: President Donald Trump threatened Friday to seal the US-Mexico border "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall. In a burst of early morning tweets, the president said the alternative to funding his controversial wall project would be total separation from Mexico -- including making US car companies pull out their factories based on the other side of the frontier. The threat yet again upped the ante in a political row that has led to a partial shutdown of the US government and seems set to dominate the start to the third year of Trump's presidency.

Update:: Militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group have hoisted their flag in a Nigerian town after seizing control of it, three residents have told the BBC. Hundreds of people have fled the fishing town of Baga after the militants overran it on Wednesday night, the residents said. The militants seized weapons from a military base, and torched a naval base on the shores of Lake Chad, they said. The military denied Baga had fallen, saying the attack had been repelled. But PRNigeria, an agency well-connected with the military, quoted an intelligence officer as saying that troops had made a "tactical withdrawal" from their base after coming under attack.

Update:: The scale of the dramatic collapse of the Indonesian volcano that led to last Saturday's devastating tsunami in the Sunda Strait is becoming clear. Researchers have examined satellite images of Anak Krakatau to calculate the amount of rock and ash that sheared off into the sea. They say the volcano has lost more than two-thirds of its height and volume during the past week. Much of this missing mass could have slid into the sea in one movement. It would certainly explain the displacement of water and the generation of waves up to 5m high that then inundated the nearby coastlines of Java and Sumatra.

Update:: A roadside blast has killed four people - three Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide - and injured 12 others on a bus near the Giza pyramids in Egypt, officials say. A bomb hidden beside a wall went off as the bus carrying 14 Vietnamese tourists was passing Two people were critically wounded, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said. The bus hit the device after it went off its planned route without alerting security forces, Mr Madbouly added. All of the injured are Vietnamese tourists apart from the bus driver, who is Egyptian. There were no immediate reports of any group saying it was behind the attack, but Islamist militants have targeted tourists in the past.

Update:: Former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari who died Friday will be buried today in Sokoto, according to the family. His grandson, Nuradeen Mahe, told newsmen in Sokoto that the late President would be flown from Abuja to Sokoto for burial on Saturday, in accordance with Islamic rites. Shagari, who was 93, died at 6: 40 P.M at the National Hospital in Abuja. Mahe said he was flown to Abuja on Christmas Day after his health deteriorated.

A pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), has lauded the federal government and the NNPC for the availability of fuel in the south-east during the yuletide - The group commended the NNPC for making sure that the nation does not experience fuel shortage at petrol stations nationwide, especially in the south-east, as it used to be in the past - The NUF, however, decried the increase in fare prices, by 100 percent, by transporters in some routes in the country Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has lauded the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the availability of fuel in the south-east during the yuletide. The president of NUF, Augustine Chukwudum, gave the commendation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, December 27, in Enugu. “NUF wishes to commend the federal government, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, for ensuring that Nigerians do not face hardship and d...

Update:: Russia's new hypersonic missile system, which President Vladimir Putin claims is "invulnerable" to US defenses, will enter service in 2019, the Russian leader said after a test of the missile Wednesday. "Russia is the first in the world to receive a new type of strategic weapon and this will reliably ensure the security of our state and of our people for decades to come," Putin said, according to the state-run Tass news service. "This is a wonderful, excellent gift for the country for the New Year," Tass quotes Putin as saying. The Avangard hypersonic system was tested from the Dombarovsky military airbase in southwest Russia, according to Tass. Earlier reports say the Avangard has intercontinental range and the ability to fly as fast as Mach 20, more than 15,000 miles per hour. As it closes in on its target, the missile with a maneuverable gliding warhead can adjust both altitude and direction to avoid defenses and fly low enough to avoid mo...

A UN-led team tasked with monitoring a ceasefire in Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida was set to meet Wednesday, as sporadic clashes underscored the fragility of the truce which began last week. The ceasefire in the rebel-held city, whose Red Sea port is vital for millions at risk of starvation, is part of a peace push seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint committee including government officials and Huthi rebels to oversee the truce, and will chair its first face-to-face meeting on Wednesday, according to the UN. The meeting "is taking place as planned with all members attending", a UN official who did not want to be named told AFP, without disclosing the exact location. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has described the meeting as "one of the priorities" of Cammaert's mission. A truce in Hodeida and its surroundings went into effect on December 18 but has remaine...

Update:: A heartbroken Nigerian man identified as ToniJohnson100 on Twitter has taken to the platform to narrate how he lost the most important person in his life to the cold hands of death. Toni took to his twitter handle some hours ago to mourn the death of his wife Darasinmi, who died on December 24th, after a long battle with cancer. His thread shows he really loved her and is beyond broken following her demise to the extent that he questioned God for leaving his wife who trusted so much in him. In his tweets, Toni noted that his wife was the strongest person he known and that she fought hard before giving up the ghost. Read his tweets below: Meanwhile, a hit and run driver on Tuesday, December 25, killed a final year Urban and Regional planning of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun state identified as Boluwatife Oyeleye. According to reports, Boluwatife who is the only child of her parents had gone out for a Christmas outing and was returning home around 6:30pm, ...

Update:: President Muhammadu Buhari has received a letter of endorsement from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), a rival party of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state. Governor Ibikunle Amosu who the delegation adopted APM to fight the governorship position after his preferred candidate lost the primary to APC in the state. In the letter, APM adopted President Buhari as its presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections but fielded different candidates to fight APC in the state. Amos who was accompanied by the APM Chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, said after a closed door meeting with the president, that the endorsement letter was given to him by the party for onward presentation to the president. He expressed optimism that with the endorsement, President Buhari, whom he described as a man with good heart, would garner massive votes in the 2019 presidential elections. He said: “You will recall that just last week we made public that APM has adopted P...

Update:: From Churchill Choken Churchill ... The Director And CEO of Www.churchillchoken.blogspot.com May the joy and peace of Christmas be with you all through the Year. Wishing you a season of blessings from heaven above. Merry Christmas..and prosperous new year ahead Thanks for your love  We wish to serve you better in 2019