OPINION: Who Stands For The Youth Between GEJ And GMB?

Ahead of next month’s presidential elections in Nigeria, a renowned political commentator, Oche Joseph Otorkpa, has explained why it would favour Nigerian youths to cast their votes for incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.
According to Otorkpa, who is the publisher of Tsuntsu Hausa newspaper, prior to President Jonathan’s era, thousands of young and qualified Nigerians have consistently found it difficult to secure admission into Nigerian universities, lack of slots and over population forced many schools to turn back very qualified young Nigerians, a situation Jonathan considered unacceptable.
In a bid to correct this anomaly,the President swung into action and constructed 12 brand new Universities from scratch sweeping thousands of young Nigerians into various degree programmes in the process.

Oche Joseph Otorkpa

He also explained how the incumbent President placed food on the tables of many young people who became beneficiaries of employment from these new universities as academic and non academic staff.
Below is the full text of the opinion piece:

Inmates Scale Prison Walls With Bedsheets

What usually would sound as the unthinkable happened on February 2, 2015, Monday, in Meerut in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, when scores of inmates staged a mass jailbreak from an Indian young offenders detention centre by using their bedsheets.
It was gathered that the inmates tied their bedsheets together and then scaled down the walls of the three-storey building.
According to the city’s superintendent of police Om Prakash, a total of 91 inmates, including several convicted murderers, managed to flee the facility in Meerut overnight.
It was however gathered that 35 of the fleeing inmates have since been recaptured.
“They removed an iron grille from a window at the back of the building while police were guarding the front,” Prakash told AFP from Meerut.
“This was done so professionally that no one got a whiff,” Prakash added.

It was disclosed that those still on the run included inmates convicted of crimes such as murder, rape, theft and banditry.
Prakash added that all the inmates are aged under 18.

Northern Group Condemns Buhari’s Endorsement By Elders

A group, Concerned Northern Youths Forum (CNYF), has condemned the reported endorsement of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) by Northern Elders Forum (NEF).

General Muhammadu Buhari

CNYF National Chairman, AlKasim Charanchi, while addressing press conference in Bauchi at the weekend, said the group throw its weight behind the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan, ThisDay reports.

Actors And Actress Pay Last Respect For Muna

 The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) have organised a candle light procession in honour of popular Nollywood Actor, Muna Obiekwe who died Sunday, January 19, 2015.

Muna Obiekwe

The deceased’s friends and colleagues had the candle light procession yesterday, Sunday 1st of February and it was full of emotions as the deceased’s wife, Ibinabo Fiberesima who is the AGN president and many others were inconsolable.

Graphic pics: Executed ISIS fighters lined up in the ruins of border town of Kobane

Kurdish fighters killed more than 20 ISIS militants during continued fighting in the villages around Kobane which was liberated earlier this week after months of bitter street fighting. In one village, a Kurd was today pictured standing over the bodies of Islamic extremists after they were killed in Halimce, a village east of the town...

Shagari's Warns PDP Over Jonathan's Alleged Endorsement

The Family of Nigeria’s former President, Shehu Shagari has reacted angrily to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the alleged endorsement of its presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria’s former President, Shehu Shagari

The reaction which is the second in a row was contained in a statement issued by the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation on Friday, a copy obtained by The Nation.
APC said Capt. Bala Shagari (rtd), the eldest son of the former President warned the leadership of the PDP to stop dragging the name of his father into the politics of endorsement of their presidential candidate.

Steven Gerrard To Mark His 700th Appearance For Liverpool

Former England captain, Steven Gerrard, plans to wear a pair of special boots to mark his 700th appearance for Liverpool.
The Reds captain will make his 700th appearance when Liverpool takes on West Ham United on Saturday, January 31. Ahead of this match, he took to his Instagram account to show off his new Predator boots which has the landmark number – ‘700’ – stitched to it.
“I will be wearing these in the next match I play in. Appearance number 700 for the Reds!” Steven Gerrard wrote.