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Group urges President Buhari to suspend NDDC forensic audit
The South South Reawakening Group, has called for the immediate suspension of the ongoing forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), describing it as a “circus of corruption”. Converner of the group, Joseph Ambakederimo, in a statement, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a board for the NDDC to start a new phase for the development of the region. According to them, it was no longer news that the forensic audit ordered by the President has now been turned into “a circus for mismanagement and misappropriation of public funds to oil the machinery of political interests of a few, while the region and its people continue to suffer the perpetual psychological torture of these buccaneers.” The group recalled that the NDDC is still presently being run by an interim s...
Plateau university applauds governor for facilitating N3 billion federal government impact intervention
Twitter Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University Bokkos (PLASU), Prof. Yohanna Izam has applauded Governor Simon Lalong for facilitating N3 billion Federal Government high impact intervention into the Institution. He noted that the governor also approved the released of funds for the accreditation of 15 programmes in the University to meet up with global academic practices. Prof. Izam disclosed this yesterday during the maiden Alumni Award and dinner of the University, where an award of Excellence was presented to Governor Simon Lalong by the University for approving the returned of Academic activities on assumption of office which was suspended by his predecessor, Jonah David Jang. “We are glad that Governor Simon Lalong has facilitated the Federal Government intervention of N3 billion...
Justice Adah: Nigerians must work hard to ensure the country remains one
A legal luminary in the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, Justice Steve Adah, has stressed the need for all Nigerians to work hard to ensure that the country remains one indivisible entity. Justice Adah who stated this on Saturday at the 35th anniversary celebration of the Faith Women Fellowship in Makurdi, Benue State capital recalled that on May 29, 1999, Nigeria returned to democratic rule but has had little or nothing to show for it 22 years after. While speaking on the theme, “Defy Limitations to Soar Higher”, Adah noted that God had ordained Nigeria as the most populous black nation in the world to remain one indivisible country despite the numerous tribes, religion and political affiliation of the people. ‘May 29th of every four years, our presidents take oath of office. This is a da...
Liberian VP visits Prof. Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, had the pleasure today to welcome Dr Jewel Howard-Taylor, the Vice President of Liberia. She led a delegation to attend the 1st Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS parliament yesterday here in Abuja and spoke at the opening ceremony. She took the opportunity to pay a courtesy visit to the Vice President in his office this afternoon. It was an opportunity for the two Vice Presidents to catch-up having had previous meetings both here in Abuja and in Liberia including in 2018 when Prof. Osinbajo visited Liberia to speak at the launch of the International Sheroes Foundation. Of course, Nigeria and Liberia enjoy a very good and warm diplomatic relationship dating back to even before independence. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and reaffirmed both countries’...
Bashar al-Assad wins Syria’s presidential election
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has won his fourth seven-year term in the 2021 presidential race, the Syrian parliament announced on Thursday. Hamoudeh Sabbagh, the parliament speaker, said that Assad won 95.1 per cent of the vote as opposed to 88.7 per cent in the 2014 election. He said that about 14 million of the estimated 18 million eligible voters inside and outside Syria cast their votes, with a turnout rate of 78.64 per cent. Huge crowds of Assad supporters filled the Umayyad Square, the main square in the Syrian capital of Damascus, to celebrate Assad’s win, waving Syrian flags and posters of Assad, while national music was blaring from loudspeakers. Banners supporting Assad adorned the square and main streets in the capital. Assad’s win was largely anticipated as his competitors ...
Gunman kills at least 8 in mass shooting at California rail yard
At least eight people were killed when a transit employee opened fire at his co-workers at a light rail yard in San Jose, California, on Wednesday morning, the county sheriff’s office said, in the latest in a string of mass shootings this spring. The gunman, who like the victims was an employee of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), was also dead, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis said at a news conference. He did not say how the gunman died or whether police officers fired their weapons at the scene. The name and age of the suspect were also not disclosed. The first emergency calls reporting the shooting at the VTA light rail yard near the city’s main airport came through shortly after 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time (1330 GMT). A bomb squad was searching the yar...
Minister urges media to create fact-checking desks against fake news
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has advised media organisations to set up special desks for fact-checking in order to guard against being misled by fake news and misinformation. He gave the advice in Abuja yesterday when he hosted the editorial board of the Guardian Newspaper on a courtesy visit. The minister urged media organisations in Nigeria to take his suggestion seriously, noting that establishment of a special desk for fact-checking will curb the problem of fake news and enable the citizens to separate fact from fiction. He said in the era of fake news and misinformation, the media has a duty to get its facts right and ensure that charlatans and hackers do not dominate the media space, as it is increasingly becoming the case in the country. Mohammed said: “...
Centre decries burning of INEC offices
The Centre for Transparency Advocacy has decried the incessant cases of burning of offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission across the nation, describing it as a dangerous trend which could impede the process of organizing the November 6, Anambra State governorship election. It noted that the coordinated attacks have in recent times affected three states in the South East in particular – the INEC office in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area in Imo State, the Igboeze Local Government Area office in Enugu State, the Udenu office of INEC on May 16, 2021 and the attack on the INEC headquarters in Enugu. It also noted that the INEC headquarters in Awka, Anambra State, was invaded and set on fire on Sunday night, May 23, 2021. “It appears that these dastard events are targeted a...
Gunmen burn INEC office, attack police station in Anambra
The Police in Anambra State have confirmed attacks on the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission and Police B’Division in Awka, the State capital on Sunday night. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, who confirmed the incident said he had scanty information on the development. He said, “Please, I will get back to you as soon as I get the full details.” Gunmen had around 9pm on Sunday invaded B Division Police Station and the INEC office in Awka. Some police officers were feared dead in the attack. Eyewitnesses said the attack lasted for about two hours with gunshots. “The gunmen set the police station and INEC office ablaze. It was followed by what looks like mass robbery in the area with gunshots everywhere. It was like we were in Sambis...
Lagos registers over 400 money lenders, vaccinates 2,500 intending pilgrims
Lagos State Government has disclosed that it has registered over 400 money lenders in the last two years, just as it noted that it has also vaccinated over 2,500 intending pilgrims for the next hajj. Making this disclosure at a ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second year in office of the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Press Centre in Ikeja yesterday, the state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, stated that the ministry is in partnership with the Money lending sector in a way that most of such organisations are mandated to register with the ministry for the coordination of their activities. According to him, “In return, the ministry has registered, profiled and monitored the viability of such companies to ensure that while the money lenders are ...
SERAP urges President Buhari to tell Nigerians spending plan for James Ibori loot, others
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently direct Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to disclose spending details of the $700 million looted funds reportedly recovered by the Federal Government in the past four years, including the list and location of projects completed with the money, as well as details of the contractors that executed the projects.” SERAP also urged him to “direct Mrs Ahmed to disclose how the government plans to spend the returned £4.2m Ibori loot, including details of planned capital expenditure, and whether there is any plan to ensure that the money and any future returned Ibori loot would be spent to achieve justice and effective remedies for victims of corruption in...
South East group warns governors, others angling for vice presidency
As discussions surrounding the 2023 presidential election gathers pace, South East Governors and other politicians from the region have been warned against ‘angling for the position of Vice President’. The Association of South East Past Presidents-General, which gave the warning in Enugu at the weekend, said the zone would not accept any one reducing it to ‘second fiddle political status’ in 2023. At an official public presentation of the former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi, who is also a Professor of Law, the association said the general consensus by equity, justice and fair play was that the next President of the country should emerge from the South East. The former PGs, who lead the over 2000 Igbo communities in the past, stressed that with such understanding, it w...
