200 brides ride in a truck to their mass wedding in Uganda (photos)

Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga was on Thursday, February 16, filled with love as 200 couples, in their different ages, were joined together at the same time in a holy matrimony themed 77 Days of Glory(77 DOGs).

 
200 brides ride in a truck to their mass wedding in Uganda

However, contrary to the usual practice of brides being driven in posh vehicles to the church, the brides were transported en masse with their grooms behind five decorated flatbed Mercedes Benz trailers. The trailers were escorted by police whiles the brides were guarded by armed counter terrorism police.
 

All couples were allowed to come along with a best man, matron and two relatives. There was an anniversary cake for each couple. Leaders of the church, Pastor Kayanja and his wife believe the event is the largest mass wedding citing that the Biblical wedding in Canaan had only 141 couples.

More photos below:

 

 

Adisa Musiliu

OPC vows to engage militants in combat

- The OPC has vowed to go after militants in Lagos

- It said one of its members was shot during an invasion

- It promised to work with security operatives to root out militancy

The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has declared war against Niger Delta militants terrorising the south west especially Lagos and has vowed to collaborate with security operatives.

This threat was in response to the alleged invasion of Lagos by suspected militants who reportedly kidnapped an army lieutenant.

The OPC claimed that its coordinator in the zone, Akeem Lawal, was wounded with gunshots during the kidnap.

Barrister Yinka Oguntimehin who is the publicity secretary of the Gani Adams led OPC vowed to fish out the militants and teach them a lesson as they have under-estimated the strength of the Yorubas.

He said: “We are taking no more chances. I think our tolerance has been mistaken for cowardice and it is time to act. Now we are ready to join hands with the relevant Nigerian forces to smoke out all militants that have constituted themselves as be the tail troubling the dog of Lagosians all these while. We have already moved into action, and they shall all be smoked out and dealt with, in no time.”

Part of the statement read: “In a reprisal attack, a combination of military personnel from Ojo Cantonment, Naval Officers from Navy Town and a team of men of the Gani Adams led OPC, cordoned off the creeks in the area to dislodge the arsonists from their hideout.

“It was gathered that the suspected militants, eventually bowed to the superior fire power of the team, resulting to several casualties on the side of the former while their hideouts were burnt down by the joint team.

“Meanwhile the gunmen have been terrorising Lagosians before introducing the new twist to their activities.

“Lieutenant Gyan was abducted at Ijedodo area of Abule-Ado, Lagos, resulting to military personnel under an operational code name AWATSE, being deployed to the area immediately to curb the activities of the militants.

“It was gathered that the Lieutenant was kidnapped with his service riffle while on patrol along the axis at about 5.30pm.

“His abduction sparked up sporadic shootings that Saturday as a joint force of the Military and the Police invaded the creeks and headed for the kidnappers den while another team headed for the hideout where the abducted Lieutenant was suspected to have been taken to.

“Others remained at the strategic points around Ijedodo, Abule-Ado, Totowu , Igando and neighbouring exit points, to ensure that the kidnappers did not escape.

“A fisherman who simply gave his name as Aidan, claimed to have witnessed when the Lieutenant was kidnapped.

He said: ‘I was coming to inspect my fishing net when I noticed some suspicious movements. One speed boat was at the shore with a man pretending to be carrying out repairs on it. Then all of a sudden, my fears were confirmed following a deafening gun shots. As that was going on, I saw a soldier being dragged into the speed boat that I assumed was faulty and they sped off shooting.’”

Adisa Musiliu

 

Breaking: President Buhari calls Nigeria again, applauds citizens for prayers

President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken with Nigerians appreciating all the prayers and goodwill messages that have been extended to him.

The president who is on an extended vacation in the UK spoke with Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Wednesday, February 22 on phone where he thanked Nigerians for all the prayers.

Vanguard reports that the president spoke for about three minutes in vernacular with Governor Ganduje, while a prayer session was going on at the Government House in Kano.

 

Breaking: President Buhari calls Nigeria again, applauds citizens for prayers

When Ganduje inquired how he was doing, Buhari said “Alhamdulillah (all praise be to Allah)”.

The prayer session was broadcast live by local radio stations in Kano and Governor Ganduje told the President that Islamic scholars and Imams in Kano were praying for his speedy recovery.

Buhari replied: “Maa shaa Allah”, meaning, “God willed it.

He expressed the hope that Allah will accept the prayers and appreciated the efforts of the Islamic scholars who were praying on his behalf.

Ganduje said the president’s voice indicated that he was better and expressed hope that he will be well soon.

He said: “We prayed for Buhari to win and he won. It is now mandatory on us to rally round his government and pray for his wellbeing.”

A day ago, President Buhari revealed that he needs a longer time to rest, thus putting paid to speculations and claims by top government officials that he is actually fit and healthy.

The president said this on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 saying the rest is deserved following the results from the series of medical tests he carried out in the United Kingdom where he is on vacation.

Adisa Musiliu

Zimbabwe deploys army at hospitals after doctors’ strike

Zimbabwe has deployed army medics to work at major public hospitals following a week-long strike by junior doctors who are demanding an increase in call allowances and a duty free car facility, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Gerald Gwinji, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the doctors’ strike had put pressure on public hospitals, which were already struggling with shortages of drugs and under-funding from the government.

“When some people are not coming to work there is bound to be an impact on service delivery and because these cadres (doctors) on strike are at the first level of care, the impact is even greater,” Gwinji said.

“In some instances we have deployed cadres from the uniformed forces to help in reducing the pressure.”

The paediatric and maternity sections were the worst affected, Edgar Munatsi, the president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, which called the strike, told Reuters.

Munatsi said doctors wanted their call allowances to be increased to $10 an hour from the current $1.20. He said more than 400 doctors were staying away from work, warning that senior doctors could also join the strike.

“So the doctors are insisting that the government has to offer something on the table on the issue of call allowances and the duty free car facility as promised. Without that, they are not going back,” said Munatsi.

At Parirenyatwa Hospital, Zimbabwe’s largest public hospital in Harare, non-critical patients were being turned away and referred to local clinics run by city councils.

United Bulawayo Hospitals in the country’s second city Bulawayo put out a notice saying that due to the doctors’ strike “we have resolved to attend to ‘dire’ emergencies only.”

Doctors in the southern African nation last embarked on a major strike in 2014 demanding higher call allowances, but returned to work after President Robert Mugabe’s government promised to increase them and provide a car facility which would allow doctors to import vehicles and not pay the duty.

Last July, doctors joined nurses, teachers and other civil servants in a national shutdown over unpaid wages, which coincided with anti-government protests called by social media groups over a deteriorating economy.

Adisa Musiliu

BREAKING: National Assembly condemns attacks on Nigerians in South Africa

The Nigerian National Assembly has condemned the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 21 passed a resolution condemning the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

Members of the House of Representatives say Nigerians in South Africa have not been treated fairly

The lawmakers also urged the executive to recall Nigeria’s high commissioner to South Africa ahead of a major anti-Nigerians rally planned for Friday, February 24.

The motion on xenophobic attacks targeted at Nigerians in South Africa was moved by Hon. Rita Orji as a matter of urgent public importance.

Hon. Sergious Ogun supported the motion and lamented the treatment meted out to Nigerians in South Africa despite Nigeria’s contributions to the fight against apartheid in that country and how businesses owned by South Africans thrive here in Nigeria.

"I want us as a House to commend it and I also want our government to take a stand on it. How can we say that we are the giant of Africa when in other African countries, our citizens are being killed?" he asked.

"Mr. Speaker, the question now arises, how do we engage beyond diplomatic conventions?" Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje asked, noting that despite using diplomatic channels, the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa have persisted.

She there suggested that the House send a delegation to engage with the South African parliament, in hopes that representatives of the people would be better able to sort the issues out, and that the xenophobic tendencies of South Africa should be discussed at the next AU meeting.

But minority leader of the House Hon. Leo Ogor feels that the House should act stronger: "Time has come for us to call a spade a spade. This isn't the first time this is happening. South Africans continue to kill Nigerians for no justifiable reason and this is completely unacceptable."

He further noted that the security and welfare of citizens is paramount.

He said:"We need to condemn this act in its entirety and specifically ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to make it clear that we will not accept this any longer as a nation.

"If we as a nation can grant opportunities to South Africans to do business, then we need to wake up and take a stand.”

Hon. Mark Gbillah, in his submission, suggested that a travel advisory be issued, urging Nigerians to not travel to SA, and that orders be given to their ambassador to ensure that the anti-Nigerian protests slated to hold on Friday must not hold.

He also added that we ought to recall our ambassador and expel theirs.

The federal government had earlier condemned the attacks and called on the South African government to end them as soon as possible.

Adisa Musiliu

Ali Modu Sheriff got PDP leaders arrested, detained - Fani-Kayode

Former aviation minister and PDP stalwart Femi Fani-Kayode has accused factional chairman of the party Ali Modu Sheriff of masterminding the travails of the opposition’s leaders in recent times.


Fani-Kayode says Sheriff behind PDP leaders' travails.

In a tweet on Wednesday, February 22, Fani-Kayode claimed that Sheriff was responsible for the arrest and detention of top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders.

He noted that this alleged harassment was what led to the death of former Niger state governor Kure.

Fani-Kayode is against Sheriff who was declared authentic chairman of the party by an appeal court in Port Harcourt and has called on other party members not to support the former Borno state governor.

Femi Fani-Kayode 

✔@realFFK

Ali Modu Sheriff was responsible for the arrest and detention of numerous PDP leaders including Gov. Kure of Niger state who later died.

10:28 AM - 22 Feb 2017

In another tweet, Fani-Kayode said there would be a lot of work to be done to get the present All Progressives Congress administration of President Muhammadu Buhari out of office in 2019.

Femi Fani-Kayode 

✔@realFFK

Nigeria needs deliverance. We are not going to have an election in 2019 we are going to have an exorcism. We will pray this evil govt. out.

10:42 AM - 22 Feb 2017

Fani-Kayode was one of the members of the PDP ministers’ forum that visited ex-president Goodluck Jonathan at his Abuja residence on Tuesday, February 21.

Adisa Musiliu

Slight dust haze atmosphere to prevail on Thursday – NiMet

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted dust haze conditions over the central states of the country on Thursday with horizontal visibility of two to five kilometres

NiMet gave the prediction in its Weather Outlook by the Central Forecast Office on Wednesday in Abuja.

It also predicted that the region would have day and night temperature of 30 to 38 and 15 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

NiMet predicted that the Southern states would experience partly cloudy conditions and mist patches over the inland and coastal cities in the morning hours with cloudiness over the southwest coast later in the day.

It also predicted hazy conditions over the inland cities with chances of isolated rain showers over Yenegoa, Port Harcourt, Eket and Calabar axis and day and night temperatures of 34 to 37 and 20 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

According to NiMet, Northern states will experience moderate dust haze conditions with visibility range of two to five kilometers with day and night temperature of 31 to 37 and 14 to 19 degrees Celsius respectively.

“However, reduced horizontal visibility of less than or equal to 1000m is expected over the northeastern states like Maiduguri, Potiskum, Yola, Katsina, Kano, Nguru, Gombe and Damaturu,” NiMet predicted.

Adisa Musiliu