INSTAROK

*164 million phones connected, 119m active If you are reading this and you have not registered your phone line(s), it may just be almost late. In fact, you need not wonder why you may neither receive nor complete any calls from today. This is because the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, says the collation, harmonisation and authentication of the subscriber’s identification modules, SIMs card registration it embarked upon in conjunction with all the telecom operators in Nigeria, since 2011, ends today, and those whose numbers were not captured will be disconnected.

The federal government has said that Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, did not act outside his constitutional jurisdiction in the execution of four death row inmates in the state. The reaction by the federal government is sequel to the Monday execution of Osaremwinda Aigbuohian, Daniel Nsofor, and two others in Edo State, a situation that generated both local and international criticisms.

Two years ago, the peace of the Winners Chapel, headed by Bishop David Oyedepo, was figuratively broken, when a two-year-old baby was stolen during Sunday service.  The baby, Praise Eleng, twin daughter of a plumber living in Satellite Town, Lagos, was brought to church with her sister, Glory and handed over to the children’s department, at the Winners Chapel headquarters, Otta, Ogun State. By the time church service ended, she was nowhere to be found. That was on April 17, 2011, on Easter day. Recently, that peace was restored, as the stolen baby, now four years old, was found in Enugu State, thus ending two years agony of Mr. Samuel Eleng and his wife.

The nerve-wracking traffic, which keeps motorists stranded for several hours on the River Niger Bridge at Onitsha, Anambra State, may soon be a thing of the past, as work will soon begin on the second bridge across the Niger River. Speaking to Daily Sun yesterday, the Public Relations Manager of Julius Berger Plc, which got the concession from the Federal Government to construct the bridge, Mr Clement Iloba, said the ground breaking ceremony will be performed next month. Iloba said that the timeline for the completion of the project was four years and that every arrangement has been made to meet the date. He, however, did not disclose the exact date when the groundbreaking event would take place nor the cost of the entire project.

Work on the long-awaited second Niger bridge  has commenced. Wolfgang Goetsch, Managing Director of Julius Berger stated this at the 43rd annual general meeting of the company in Abuja. Goetsch also said the Federal Government had given Julius Berger a letter of intent, which would enable it to do preliminary work such as, soil testing and engineering design. According to him, the bridge is to be built under the private public partnership arrangement.

In 2001, after the shambles that attended the party’s move to dump Gemade as Chairman, the latter wanted a competitive election.  Gemade sought to engender an electoral process that would produce the new Chairman.  He wanted to re-contest, having failed to benefit from the additional one-year for the tenure of members of the PDP National Executive Committee, NEC.  And because the maximum party leader of the time, President Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, no longer wanted to suffer Gemade, the latter “just had to go”. For the PDP, it sometimes obeys its own rules in the breach. It was in bitterness that Gemade made what has now turned out to be negatively prophetic.

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB has congratulated Ndigbo on what the group described as total compliance to their sit-at-home order last Saturday, June 8. Commenting on Saturday’s sit at home, the Regional Administrator of MASSOB, Onitsha Region 4, Arinze Igbani lamented the Nigerian security agents instead of tackling insurgency in the North, they concentrated on killing harmless members of MASSOB and called for immediate release of those arrested by security men during the sit at home.

Following the passage of cremation bill by the state House of Assembly, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state, Monday, signed cremation bill into law, which provides for voluntary burning of corpses and unclaimed corpses in the state. The governor, also signed two other bills into law, they are; A law to establish the Ibile Oil and Gas Corporation and  that of establishing the Lagos State Christian and Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board. Fashola while signing the cremation bill into law, after several months of public debates in his Alausa office, Ikeja, said the cremation law is voluntary, adding that its enactment shows how the concept of globalization had taken its roots in the state.

Lagos — No fewer than 150 shops and goods worth millions of Naira were Sunday razed by fire at the Trinity spare parts market in Olodi Apapa area of Lagos State. We gathered that the fire which started around 3:24 p.m., might have been caused by an electrical power surge in one of the shops on ‘B’ line of the plaza. Eyewitnesses: Confirmed that at first a thick smoke was spotted bellowing from one shop in ‘B’ line as Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, restored power in the  afternoon before finally degenerating into an inferno that engulfed the entire Speed Well Plaza.

When Brig. Gen. Christopher Olukolade, Director of Defense Information, Defense Headquarters led a crop of foreign and local journalists on assessment tour of military special operations against the Boko Haram sect in Borno last Wednesday, expectations were high among  media men that they might at last visit the famous Sambisa forest, identified as a major operational base/camp of the sect. The journey rather turned to be northward of the state specifically Marte, a small community at the Nigeria-Chad border where the insurgents had not only established  their  camp but also sacked the local government administration and hoisted  their  red  flag.

If you think she’s talented, you’re absolutely right. If you say she’s been lucky, it’s also true though she believes God has always been there for her more than being lucky. Tiwa Savage is the brain behind Kelekele  which was inspired by her personal experience. Are you happy? Absolutely, I’m so over the moon. Sometimes I get too happy and I’m like ‘Oh my God something bad is about to happen’. Like my life can’t be this good. How can I not be happy? I’m living my dream, I’m with a man I love, my parents are alive and healthy, supporting me, so also my brothers. I have great friends around me and above everything I have the love of God, I have His protection, His love and support. To say I’m happy is an understatement. Is this what you have always wanted to be? At a stage I didn’t really think I wanted to be anywhere.  I just remember being very playful and joyful and a trouble maker. When I was younger, I was a tomboy but when I discovered my gift of song, I knew that...

Three persons were reported killed in Gwiwan Kogi village the early hours of yesterday by people suspected to be Fulani mercenaries and some houses burnt at Zamchang village, all in Wase Local Government Council of Plateau State. Coordinator of Stephanus Foundation, a Jos based nongovernmental organisation, Mark Lipdo said the attackers invaded the two villages in the night and were shooting at random, forcing villagers to run for cover. He disclosed that the Fulani herdsmen had razed over 12 houses before the villagers trooped out to form barricade at Bakinrijiya to repel them from further harm. @ The Sun

Former Vice President,  Atiku Abubakar; President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, yesterday led other prominent Nigerians and foreigners to identify with Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Relations, Sen. Ben Obi, as he buried his wife, the late Deaconess (Chief) Collette Ojirhomu Ben-Obi, in his country home, Awka, Anambra State, yesterday. It was a gathering of prominent clergymen, politicians, businessmen and traditional rulers, just as it was tribute galore, with the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, His Grace, Nicholas Okoh, who preached the sermon at the funeral service, describing the late Deaconess Ben-Obi as one that lived a fulfilled life.

Tragedy struck, yesterday, along the Agege Motor Road, Ikeja, Lagos, after a container fell off a truck and landed on an Eko meat van.  An unsuspecting male passer-by identified as a manager in Slot Electronics company, was reportedly crushed to death by the truck. Several persons reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries while motorists going inward and outward Oshodi  went through the most harrowing experience as they were trapped for seven hours in the resultant gridlock.

This was even as Buhari, who is a leader of the CPC group in the emerging All Progressives Congress (APC), said he will not leave APC if he does not emerge as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections.  General Buhari stated this yesterday while speaking on Liberty Radio, Kaduna as the Guest of the Week, saying what Nigeria has gone through from 1999 to date is worse than what it experienced between 1966 and 1999.

The Presidency has denied media reports that President Goodluck Jonathan was planning to probe the activities of former President Obasanjo administration over the latter’s ‘constant’ criticisms of the present government.

Versatility speaks more of action than some mere accolades as proven by the spectacular artiste -  Olalekan Babatunde Johnson  aka   LKT  in collaboration with one of Nigeria’s celebrated superstars  Davido  in this much anticipated video – ALAYE REMIX,  brought to you by Edlyne Records, directed by James Oludare. ALAYE REMIX  is beyond doubt, one of the most anticipated videos of the year, having  an impeccable visual experience . It features a rich blend of natural, cultural and contemporary flavors infused into its well-arranged beats. Cameo appearances include  DJ  Humility, Eniola Badmus, Bigiano, Omo Akin, Baba Ijesha and more, making this video much more fun that’s  capable of charging any atmosphere and keeping your replay button on a lock-down. Enjoy! Follow on twitter  @iamLKT_

The Apkako Master aka  Terry G  drops three new videos - two live performances organized by Legend Extra Stout in Owerri & Portharcourt and then; an exclusive interview session with Radio Station 93.7fm. Get entertained by the  Groove Master  himself .  Enjoy! Follow on twitter  @TERRYGZUS                                                            Check out videos INTERVIEW SESSION -