Thursday, May 21

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VON renews partnership with Galaxy Backbone to promote Tinubu’s Renew Hope Agenda 
News

VON renews partnership with Galaxy Backbone to promote Tinubu’s Renew Hope Agenda 

The Voice of Nigeria (VON) has seek the renewal and deepening of its partnership with Galaxy Backbone Ltd to promote President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, fight fake news and protects its cyber space. The Director-General of VON, Malam Jibrin Baba-Ndace stated this when he and his management team paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Ltd, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju on Friday in Abuja. Ndace stressed that for VON to succeed, it required the total support of Galaxy Backbone Ltd. He appreciated the organisation for the it's support and relationship with VON, adding that VON has the most robust digital platform to pride in. "I am determined to expand the scope of the partnership between us and deepen it. VON is the only pl...
RMAFC Chairman lauds Supreme Court’s LG autonomy decision
News

RMAFC Chairman lauds Supreme Court’s LG autonomy decision

Muhammed Bello Shehu OFRRMAFC Chaiman By Vivian Emoni Mr Muhammed Shehu, Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), on Friday stated that the Supreme Court judgment affirming the autonomy of Local Government Councils was a landmark achievement. Shehu praised President Bola Tinubu for his remarkable and thoughtful efforts in taking a bold step to ensure the judgment was achieved. The Chairman made the commendation while addressing members of the board and management staff of the commission at a sensitisation meeting by the RMAFC in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Supreme Court, on 11 July 2024, affirmed the financial autonomy of 774 local governments in the country. Shehu recalled the prestige attached to the po...
Gov. Alia inaugurates save the Benue Child committee
News

Gov. Alia inaugurates save the Benue Child committee

Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue on Friday, inaugurated the State steering committee of “Save the Benue Child” project to mitigate child trafficking in the State Performing the ceremony in Makurdi, Alia said the Benue child has faced serious challenges over the years and all hands must be on deck to change the narrative. Represented by Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, Alia said the Benue child has being facing issues ranging from of lack of quality education, healthcare, nutritional deficit among others. Mnyim is the State Chairman, Benue Taskforce on Human Trafficking saddled with the responsibility to lead the state efforts at mitigating the ugly trend in the state. He said the state government planned to use the project to collaborat...
Kidnapping: Association demands Ganiyat’s freedom, urges FG intervention
News

Kidnapping: Association demands Ganiyat’s freedom, urges FG intervention

By Aderogba George Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, has demanded the unconditional release of one of their members, Doctor Ganiyat Popoola who was said to have been kidnapped on Dec. 27, 2023. The association during a solidarity walk within the premises of the hospital, and later to the Chief Medical Director's (CMD) office lead by its President, Dr Abah Innocent, said the victim was kidnapped at her resident in Kaduna. He said the victim is a staff of the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, and was said to have been kidnapped alongside her husband and her nephew. The ARD President, UATH, said members of the association are not happy with the incident, while calling on the management of the hospital and the Federal Gover...
NJC Tells Tinubu To Appoint Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun As Next Chief Justice Of Nigeria
News

NJC Tells Tinubu To Appoint Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun As Next Chief Justice Of Nigeria

The National Judicial Council, at its 106th meeting, presided has recommended Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. A statement by Soji Oye, NJC’s spokesman on Thursday, said the recommendation was imperative as the current CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, will formally bow out of office on August 22. He said the council also recommended 27 candidates for appointment as judges of state courts and a candidate for appointment as Kadi of the Sharia Court of the FCT, Abuja, to their various governors. Six Judges for the Kwara High Court of are Olawoyin Ibijoke Olabisi, Abdulrazaq Fatimah Funsho, Folorunsho Oba Muritala, Dikko Yusuf Adebayo, Adeniyi Oluwatosin Adenike and Osuolale-Ajayi Temitope Olalekan. The only judge for th...
We Won’t Let Governor, Politicians, Others Interfere With Kano LG Elections- KANSIEC
News

We Won’t Let Governor, Politicians, Others Interfere With Kano LG Elections- KANSIEC

The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) says it will conduct the upcoming local government elections without interference from any quarters.KANSIEC chair Sani Malumfashi said this while presenting the election timetable and guidelines to leaders of the 19 political parties on Thursday in Kano. He said KANSIEC was determined to conduct free and fair local government elections. KANSIEC had scheduled November 30 for the chairmanship and councillorship elections into the 44 local governments. “The commission will operate independently in conducting the forthcoming local government elections in the state. Nobody is going to interfere with our activities. “Similarly, nobody should approach us with bribe. If people approach us with bribe we are going to expose them....
Tinubu, Mbasogo Sign Agreement On Gulf Of Guinea Gas Pipeline
News

Tinubu, Mbasogo Sign Agreement On Gulf Of Guinea Gas Pipeline

President Bola Tinubu and President Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea have signed an agreement on Gulf of Guinea Pipeline Project to further affirm the partnership between the two countries for mutual development.The Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement on Thursday that the agreement was signed on Wednesday evening in Malabo. The agreement covered legislative and regulatory measures for the gas pipeline, establishment and operation, transit of natural gas, ownership of the gas pipeline and general principles. In his remarks at the event, Mr Tinubu, who is on a three-day official visit to Equatorial Guinea, said the signing of the agreement would open up new opportunities for gas exploration and employment. The President...
Again, Vandals Destroy 13 Towers On Ahoada-Yenagoa 132KV Transmission Line
News

Again, Vandals Destroy 13 Towers On Ahoada-Yenagoa 132KV Transmission Line

The Transmission Company of Nigeria said on Thursday that vandals destroyed 13 towers on the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Double Circuit transmission line. The TCN towers T97 to T99 were destroyed by vandals on July 29. The TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, in a statement in Abuja, said the incident was first reported by the Youth President of the Ukpeli Community in Rivers State on August 12. The company said the destroyed towers are located in several communities, including Okobe in Ahoada East, Emezhi 1 in Ahoada West. Others are in Mbiama in the Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State, as well as the Igbogene community in Bayelsa. TCN said the Port-Harcourt region of TCN, led by the General Manager of Transmission, Emmanuel Akpa, promptly visited the...
Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea to tackle oil theft with joint patrols
News

Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea to tackle oil theft with joint patrols

Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea are thickering with the idea of setting up joint patrols to combat oil theft in the Guof of Guinea. Nigeria's Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru Mohammed, revealed the the agreement. Badaru confirmed that a joint committee is being constituted to oversee joint patrols, policing, and security on their shared borders and the Gulf of Guinea. The proposed joint effort aims to curb the scourge of oil theft, a major challenge facing both nations, and other forms of illegal activities in the maritime environment. He said: “There are discussions on defense agreement, not signed yet, but there is a joint committee for joint patrol, policing and security on our borders and the Gulf of Guinea, and that discussion is on “When constituted, I’m sure we wil...
Senate denies alleged N21m monthly salary, allowances for lawmakers
News

Senate denies alleged N21m monthly salary, allowances for lawmakers

The macabre dance over the actual amount legislators collect as monthly payment still goes on. Senate on Thursday, August 15, denied alleged payment of N21million monthly as salary and allowances to senators. The Chairman Senate Committees on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South made this clarification in a statement in Abuja. Adaramodu in a statement issued to clarify the claim by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP – Kano South) that he receives N21million monthly as running cost aside his N1million statutory salary. Sumaila in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning claimed that he earns a cumulative N21million monthly in salary and allowances. He had added that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senat...
Presidency tackles Chinese Company over attempts to strip Nigeria’s assets abroad
News

Presidency tackles Chinese Company over attempts to strip Nigeria’s assets abroad

The Presidency Thursday tackled a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited over attempts to take over offshore assets of the federal government of Nigeria. In a statement released on Thursday, August 15, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, confirmed that the federal government was aware of the attempts by the Chinese company and firmly denied any contractual obligations with them. According to Onanuga, the dispute involving Zhongshan Fucheng is primarily between the company and the Ogun state government, not the federal government. He said: “The ongoing issue centres around a 2007 contract between Zhongshan and Ogun State, which involved the management of a free-trade zone. However, the contract was revoked in 2015,...
WHO Convenes Emergency Committee Amid Global Mpox Outbreak
Health

WHO Convenes Emergency Committee Amid Global Mpox Outbreak

The World Health Organisation said cases of the infectious viral disease mpox are on the rise around the world, adding that it convened its emergency committee to discuss the outbreak. WHO convenes emergency committee amid global mpox outbreakThe WHO said that the constitution of an emergency committee was to alert health authorities to a rise in cases.The WHO reported this on Tuesday from Geneva. Confirmed cases of the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, declined slightly in June to 934 from 963 in May, but the WHO is assuming the cases are probably higher, as not all cases are being recorded and testing has declined. The committee is to discuss the spread of a new clade, or variant, on Wednesday as they deliberate on whether a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ...
16 Killed, 17 Injured In Ibadan Road Crash
News

16 Killed, 17 Injured In Ibadan Road Crash

The Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed the death of 16 persons in an accident involving multiple vehicles at the Ojoo-Iwo Road axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Tuesday. The spokesperson, FRSC, Oyo State Sector Command, Mayowa Odewo, said in Ibadan that 17 other people sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident. He said two people were injury-free among the 35 passengers comprising 14 male adults, 10 female adults, six female children and five male children involved in the accident. Mr Odewo attributed the cause of the accident, involving four vehicles, to the brake failure of a Mack truck, marked AKM 548 ZY. According to him, the other vehicles include a Nissan commercial bus, MUB 20 LG; a Nissan Micra taxi, BDJ 520 YC; and a private Honda Accord SUV, KRD...
Poor Training, Obsolete Sporting Facilities Responsible For Nigeria’s Failure At Paris Olympics, Says Owolabi
Sports

Poor Training, Obsolete Sporting Facilities Responsible For Nigeria’s Failure At Paris Olympics, Says Owolabi

Former Green Eagles player and 1980 AFCON winner, Felix Owolabi, has attributed the poor performance of Nigerian athletes at the just-concluded Paris Olympics to the fire brigade approach by officials and athletes. The country got invited for trials. Today, these facilities are lacking. We’ll harness the potential of our athletes with good trainers and coaches when we have good sports facilities,” he said. Mr Owolabi also noted that many nations of the world were using sports to drive their economies. “As a nation, we need to ask ourselves what exactly we want from sports,” he said.
NELFUND Disburses N201m Education Loan For 1, 370 UI Students
News

NELFUND Disburses N201m Education Loan For 1, 370 UI Students

The University of Ibadan, Oyo State, said it received the sum of N201,114,650 from Nigerian Education Loan Fund for 1,370 students of the institution for the 2023/2024 academic session. The university’s Director of Public Relations, Joke Akinpelu, stated this on Tuesday in Ibadan. An internal memo, dated August 9 indicated that the money was paid into the institution’s account to cover the fees of the 1,370 students who applied for the loan. The memo, signed by the institution’s Registrar, Ganiyu Saliu, and addressed to Dean of Students, said that the bursary department was currently processing the fund to enable the concerned students obtain ‘smart receipt.’ Mr Saliu stated, “Any student who is a beneficiary of the NELFUND loan and has already paid levies for the session fee ...
Edo Accuses Shaibu Of Impersonating As Deputy Governor
Politics

Edo Accuses Shaibu Of Impersonating As Deputy Governor

Edo State Government has accused Philip Shaibu, of impersonating Marvellous Omobayo as the deputy governor of the state. This is contained in a statement by the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare on Monday in Benin City. The state government alleged that Mr Shaibu had been carrying out correspondence with individuals and organisations, claiming to be the deputy governor. Mr Nehikhare urged the public to disregard such correspondence from Mr Shaibu because the issue of his reinstatement as deputy governor was still in court. Recall that Mr Shaibu, who was impeached by the state House of Assembly, was reinstated on July 19, by a federal high court in Abuja. Mr Shaibu said the judgment that reinstated him was declarative and had to be carried...
Police Investigate Killing Of 14-Year-Old Boy For Ritual In Ibadan
News

Police Investigate Killing Of 14-Year-Old Boy For Ritual In Ibadan

The Police Command in Oyo State said it has commenced investigation into the killing of a 14-year-old, Malik Kareem, for alleged money ritual in Ibadan. The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso, stated this during an interview on Monday in Ibadan. Mr Osifeso said that the command was aware of the incident and had immediately commenced investigation with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice. He assured members of the public that an update on the investigation on the matter would be made available once it was concluded. It was gathered that the teenager was killed and beheaded allegedly for ritual purposes by his friends at Olorisaoko community in the Akinyele Local Government Area of the state on Saturday. A source, who spoke on condition of anony...
Lagos: NIS Investigates Traveller Who Tore Nigerian Passport At Airport
News

Lagos: NIS Investigates Traveller Who Tore Nigerian Passport At Airport

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched an investigation into a viral video showing a female traveller destroying a Nigerian passport at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The NIS spokesperson, Kenneth Udo, who confirmed this in a statement on Monday, said the individual had been identified and invited for further investigation. According to NIS, if the allegations are substantiated, the individual’s action breached the provisions of Section 10(b) of the Immigration Act 2015 (as amended), with corresponding penalties outlined under Section 10(h) of the same Act. NIS reiterated the commitment of the Service to upholding the provisions of the Immigration Act in the interest of national security and preserving the dignity and integrity of the nation...
Makinde Elevates Otun Olubadan to Oba
News

Makinde Elevates Otun Olubadan to Oba

Oyo State Acting Governor, Barr. Bayo Lawal, has stated that the administration of Governor 'Seyi Makinde will continue to prioritise efforts that will enhance the status of the royal system in the state and make it a worthy reference point for other South-West states. Barr. Lawal said this on Monday, during the elevation Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Senator Rashidi Ladoja, to a beaded-crown-wearing Oba in line with the amended Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration.At the event held at the Olubadan-in-Council Chamber of the new Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan, the Acting Governor maintained that the occasion put an end to all the controversies surrounding the issue of beaded crown in Ibadanland and has shown that the traditional system is capable of reinventing itself without ...
FRSC Critical To Nigeria’s Internal Security-Tunji-Ojo
News

FRSC Critical To Nigeria’s Internal Security-Tunji-Ojo

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has applauded the intelligence gathering capacity of the Federal Road Safety Corps, saying the corps was critical to the security architecture of Nigeria. Mr Tunji-Ojo made this statement when he visited the FRSC headquarters in Abuja. He tasked officers and men of the corps to be extraordinary in road safety management and continue exhibiting professionalism as they discharged their duties. According to him, the intelligence they gathered from the enhanced visibility of the corps will help boost the security of the nation. He said, “I believe FRSC has a role to play even within the internal security architecture of Nigeria.’’ The minister, who emphasised on the role played by the corps to ensure safety on the highways, added tha...