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Ministerial nominee Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has called for an increased commitment to peace and unity in Nigeria. She made this appeal on Wednesday during her ministerial screening before the Senate in plenary. The former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain said, “I am here because I believe that if we are able to come together sincerely to commit to serving this nation, focusing on ensuring that we have peace, then the sky is the limit for this country.” She emphasised the importance of diplomatic and cultural engagement as essential keys to national growth. Reflecting on her tenure as ambassador, she noted her efforts to represent Nigeria on various international platforms, particularly in fostering stronger ties between Nigeria and Spain. Ms Ojukwu, who is nominated as the minis...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna. The 56-year-old Oluyede and Lagbaja were coursemates and members of the 39th Regular Course. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020. Oluyede has held many commands since his commissioning as an officer. He was Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commande...

The Police in Gombe has arraigned a 31 year old man, Jonathan James, for stabbing to death, his aunt, Ramatu Musa, 65 years old. The Gombe State Command's Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Buhari Abdullahi, said the incident occurred on 21st October, 2024 in Bagadaza quarters of Gombe metropolis. He explained that the Police received a distressed call on the same day at about 0135hrs that the suspect had fatally stabbed his Aunty, one Ramatu Musa with a sharp knife and as a result, she sustained serious injury on her chest. According to the PPRO, On receiving the information, a patrol team from Pantami Division led by ASP Girema Yahaya rushed to the scene and evacuated the victim to the Specialist Hospital Gombe where she was examine and certified dead on arrival by a medical ...

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Wednesday, said his administration was investigating allegations of connivance by some contractors and asphalt producers to shortchange the state. Governor Oborevwori disclosed this when he played host to the leadership of Isoko Church Leaders' Forum, led by the Anglican Bishop of Oleh Diocese, Rt. Rev'd John Aruakpor, at Government House, Asaba. He reiterated his resolve to ensure that people of the state get value for every project executed by his administration. He said: "As a government, we are doing our best and I want to assure you that we will not tolerate sub standard jobs in all these jobs we have awarded. "We want to make sure that all the jobs are up to standard; we are aware that some contractors have started negot...

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) under the Chairmanship of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State have resolved to scale up efforts to address youths restiveness following the end bad governance protest that shook most parts of the country in August. They resolved to particularly invest in education, skills development, job creation and other pathways for the youths to channel their energy into productive ventures in their various States. This was part of a Communiqué issued Monday evening at the end of a joint meeting of the Governors and Northern Traditional Rulers Council held in Kaduna. The brief meeting which also had in attendance the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, deliberated extensively on the bedeviling security challenges in the regi...

A new Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Gombe, Gyama Gyawiya, has taken over from his predecessor, Muhammad Bello Mu'azu, who recently gained promotion to the rank of an Assistant Commandant General. The handing over which took place at the Gombe Command's headquarters, witnessed Mu'azu bidding farewell to the Command after spending a little over a year of meritorious service in Gombe. Commandant Mu'azu was recently promoted and subsequently decorated by the Commandant General (CG) of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi in Abuja. Gyama Gyawiya, who now sits at the helms of affairs of the Gombe Command, is the 13th State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the State. A statement by the Command's Public Relatio...

Akwa Ibom community in Lagos under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Alliance for Good Governance, Lagos State Chapter, says the Ibom Towers project shows Governor Umo Eno as a leader with foresight who is smart and well-informed enough to timely key into the the real estate business which is the rave of the moment in Lagos State. The statement signed by the Chapter President of Akwa Ibom Alliance for Good Governance in Lagos State, Engr Godwin Okon says there is no investment that Governor Umo Eno would have done for the people of Akwa Ibom State that can be compared to the prospect and projected gains of a real estate business. The statement further added that the hotbed of Real Estate Business in Nigeria is Lagos State, hence the Governor is doing the right thing at the right place and at t...

By Joan Nwagwu The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has disclosed that Olori Onikepo Akande, “a trailblazer for women in leadership”, counselled her to fit in to her role as wife of Lagos state Governor in 1999. Mrs Tinubu disclosed this at a dinner organised to mark the 80th birthday of Olori Akande on Wednesday in Lagos. Olori Akande is the Iyalaje Iyalode of Ibadan land and wife to Oba Adebayo Akande, the Ekaarun Olubadan of Ibadan. “In a society where we have scarcity of women achievers, she is a woman who has not only been a pillar in her society but also a trailblazer for women in leadership, businesses and governance. “When I first met her in 1999, when my husband was the governor of Lagos State, she was a beauty to behold which she is, till now. “She can also be r...

The National Petroleum Authority of Ghana says it is proposing to import refined petroleum products from Dangote Refinery to boost its energy security and sustain business cooperation with neighbours. The National Petroleum Authority of Ghana says it is proposing to import refined petroleum products from Dangote Refinery to boost its energy security and sustain business cooperation with neighbours. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, chief executive officer, NPAG, said this at the 2024 OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week on Tuesday in Lagos. Speaking as one of the panellists, Abdul-Hamid said that the move was aimed at strengthening Ghana’s energy security and to deepen regional economic cooperation. The 2024 OTL, 18th edition, has the theme ‘Alliances for Growth’. According to Mr Abdul-Ha...

The nationwide industrial action by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has stalled the orientation programme organised by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, for first-year students. The Chairman, SSANU, OAU Ile-Ife, Dr Taiwo Arobadi, disclosed this during an interview on Tuesday, in Ile-Ife. Mr Arobadi said that it was a pity that new students, who were being exposed to the dos and don’ts of the institution, could have such an ugly experience, while entering the institution. He said that the union had directed the new students to remain in their hostels or return to their homes, if they came from far distance locations. According to him, the offices will remain under lock and key and academic activities paralysed until the government answer...

The Enugu State Police Command said on Tuesday that its operatives attached to Unity Division foiled a suspected kidnap attempt at the Neke-Uno axis of the Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road on Monday, October 28, 2024. The police command said the incident occurred around 7:10 p.m. A statement issued by the Command's spokesperson DSP Daniel Ndukwe, revealed that during the operation, Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam, the kidnapped Dean of School of General Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, managed to escape. Ujam, a senior lecturer in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, was abducted on Sunday while on transit along Opi-Ugwuogo-Abakpa Nike Road. However, Ndukwe explained that after an intense gun duel, the suspected kidnappers fled with gunshot wounds, abandoning one AK-47 rifl...

By Jessica Dogo/Angela Atabo The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Luminate, Mr Stephen King, says the organisation has supported Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Collective with the sum of 1.5 million dollars. King, who made this known at the unveiling of AI Collective on Monday in Abuja, said that the money was going to last for three years. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, with support from Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation. The event tagged: “Shaping an Inclusive AI Ecosystem for Nigeria” aimed to foster collaboration among key government, private sector, academia, and civil society stakeholders to build a more inclusive and ethica...

By Joan Nwagwu The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has disowns the claimed that the doctorates launched an online portal to engage 900,000 youths in skills development. Mr Edmund Onwuliri, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at NDE, issued the clarificationthis in a statement made available to newsmen on Tursday in Abujs. It would be that information were spreading across online platforms that claimed the Directorate launched an online portal to engage 900,000 youths in skills development. According to Onwuliri, the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is indeed underway, the actual target is 93,731 individuals, not 900,000 as widely misreported. "The NDE has initiated the online registration process for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians as part of the ...

By Joan Nwagwu The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has called on stakeholders to foster stronger collaboration to strengthen efforts towards the enforcement of anti trafficking laws in the country. Tinubu, represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, Wife of the Vice-President,made the call at the Silver Julbilee anniversary of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) on Monday in Abuja. she said that it was imperative for all stakeholders to collaborate in combating the human trafficking meance. According to her, as we celebrate this milestone, we must reflect on the journey ahead. “The fight against human trafficking and child labor is far from over. We must continue to do more to protect the rights of women and children. “It is also important t...

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted consignments of opioids concealed in shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus. This is contained in a statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Babafemi stated that operatives of the agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, intercepted the consignments of three courier companies. He said that a total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in the soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12. The spokesman said that an additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the alleged sender, Okenwa Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu on Thursday,...

The Lagos State government has kicked off the enforcement of the newly deployed e-call-up system in the Lekki Free Trade Zone. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s special adviser on transportation, Sola Giwa, said this on Sunday in a statement signed by Bolanle Ogunlola, the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation spokesperson. Mr Giwa noted that the e-call-up system was to manage the influx of trucks within the axis. He added that the initiative was crucial in preventing chaotic traffic and indiscriminate parking, preserving the real estate value and ensuring smooth operations along the Ibeju-Lekki axis. According to him, the state government will oversee traffic management and enforcement of the new system. Mr Giwa explained that the e-call-up platform would regulate the entry a...

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer  The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr Samson Itodo has recommended for improved autonomy and capacity of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to enhance the integrity of local government elections in the country. Itodo gave the recommendations during his presentation titled "Local Government Elections: A travesty of Electoral Democracy " at a 'Reflection Roundtable on Local Government Election' on Thursday in Abuja. The Roundabout was organised by Yiaga Africa, a Civil Society Ortganjsation and supported by USAID, UKaid and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). According to Itodo, before the Supreme Court judgement on Local Government Autonomy and Local Elections, only 14 states in the country were operating democ...

By Jacinta Nwachukwu A non-governmental organisation, Solidarity Centre, has noted that many women are reluctant to take leadership roles due to various issues, including the burden of care, cultural and social constraints. Vanessa Edhebru, a Gender Specialist with the Centre, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a four-day capacity building/Leadership skills for men and women respectively, organised by Solidarity Centre in Abuja. NAN reports that Solidarity Centre is an affiliate organisation with the American Federation of Labour, Congress of Industrial Organisations The expert pointed out that cultural constraints often see women as nurturers, which could hinder their leadership aspirations. She explained that the goal of ...

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, says Federal Government's respect for freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct. Idris made this know during his remarks at at the Maiden Edition of the Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture on Friday in Abuja. He said some politicians and citizens would always interpreted remarks by government officials out of context and spread fake news against the government, adding that it is unptriotic "Our respect for freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct, even as we will continue to urge responsibility in the exercise of this freedom. "Nigerians are free to speak about this dear country of ours. What we can and will continue to do, as patriots and believers, i...