ENYA'S GIST BLOG

‘Daddy Yo’, the 2017 hit song of Ayo Balogun (aka Wizkid), is part of the soundtrack for British-Nigerian actor John Boyega’s new film, ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’. ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’, is an upcoming American science fiction and action film set for release on March 23. The film is co-produced by Boyega; written and directed by Steven DeKnight in his feature film directorial debut. Boyega shared this information on his Twitter page @johnboyega on Wednesday posting a video of him dancing to the song. “One of the most exciting things about producing ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ was the opportunity to influence the creative choices. “So I put @wizkidayo song “Daddy yo” in the movie. Jaegers need afrobeats too! Oh yeah… here’s a video of me listening to this very song.” “Pacific Rim is very important to me because Pacific Rim will actually be the first movie that I have done that I would heavily target Nigeria as a main marketing spot,” he had said. The film follows ‘Jake Pente...

President Muhammadu Buhari has declined his assent to the Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill passed by the National Assembly in 2017. In a letter read by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday, Mr. Buhari cited security concerns and financial implications amongst reasons for his decision. The bill has been widely anticipated by many Nigerians who believe the creation of the corps will partly address the nation’s unemployment crisis. The bill had in late December 2017 arrived the Presidency for possible assent after it was transmitted to President Buhari by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Omolori. The Senate had passed the bill on November 25, 2016, shortly after the House of Representatives passed the same bill. A conference committee of both chambers was inaugurated on December 8, 2016, to harmonise the bill. The House of Representatives laid and adopted its conference report on January 19, 2017, while the Senate ado...

A former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, on Tuesday said he had not backed down on his presidential ambition. Mr. Duke made the statement in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. He said the speculations that he had dumped the aspiration were untrue. Mr. Duke said he had not officially declared for the number one seat in the country for strategic reasons. “Sometime ago, I said I will run for the presidency of the country if the opportunity presented itself. “Yes, my presidential ambition is still intact, I am only waiting for the opportunity to present itself to make the right move,’’ he said. Asked on what platform he would run, especially as he was a member of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s inspired “Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM)’’ , he said it was too early to decide. He, however, said he was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “I am still a member of the PDP, at the same time a member of the coalit...

Number of polling stations in Israel for the upcoming Russian presidential election will exceed 15, says an official. Russian President, Vladimir Putin The official said this surpassed the number of polling places which operated in the country during the 2016 Russian legislative election. Member of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC), Vasily Likhachev, said on Monday that in 2016, there were 13 polling stations across Israel. “We even want to come with ballot boxes to, generally speaking, places where we have never gone to. “These are several locations on the borders with Israel’s neighbouring states,” Mr. Likhachev, who is in charge of voting abroad in the CEC, said. “If it is necessary to open additional polling stations in Israel, where around 100,000 Russian nationals live, the CEC is ready to discuss this issue and make necessary steps together with the Foreign Ministry,’’ the official continued. Mr. Likhachev praised the cooperation of the Israe...

Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been appointed into a High Level Group on Governance of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Ben Maloney, Communications Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat, said in a statement that the High Level Group would make recommendations on governance of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Commonwealth, however, denied that the group was constituted to secretly begin considering who might succeed the Queen as its head. “At their last Summit in Malta, Commonwealth heads of government directed the Secretary-General to form the Group. “Today members are discussing the scope of the group’s work and the areas of governance it will examine over the coming months. “The process is open and the High Level Group reports to the heads. “The issue of succession of the Head of the Commonwealth is not part of the Group’s mandate,” the statement said. The group is chaired by Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati from 2003 to 2016. Ms. Ok...