Author: TheScrutinyNG

Emmanuel Ayoola, former chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is dead. Musa Aliyu, ICPC chairman, announced Ayoola’s death in a statement on Wednesday. Ayoola, who was the second ICPC chairman, died on Tuesday at the age of 91. He served as the commission’s chairman between 2005 and 2010, after succeeding Mustapha Akanbi. Ayoola served the country in various capacities. He was appointed as a high court judge in 1976 and rose through the ranks to the supreme court. He retired as a justice of the nation’s apex court in 2003, having attained the mandatory…

The Federal Government has announced a hike in the cost of obtaining Nigeria’s international passport. Spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), DCI Kenneth Udo, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday night in Abuja, said the move is “part of efforts to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Standard Passport.” According to him, the new charges take effect from 1st September, 2024. “Based on the review, the 32-page passport booklet with a 5-year validity previously charged at Thirty-five Thousand Naira (N35,000.00) will now be Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00) only, while the 64-page passport booklet with a…

The Rivers State Government has confirmed two cases of the deadly Mpox infection in the state. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, confirmed the development at a news conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Oreh said the state had already put its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre on high alert to respond to further emergencies. “Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control stated that there are 39 confirmed cases of mpox across the country. “Out of this number, Rivers State has two confirmed cases of Mpox. “We have deployed our medical teams to respond to all emergencies at the…

By Kassim Afegbua Politics carries with it an ensemble of contradictions and unforced errors. It ridicules those who think they have climbed to Olympian heights, humbles those who display unrestrained arrogance and generally dazes those who are mere opportunists in politics. The Edo 21st September election is a contest between light and darkness, between homeboy and cowboys, between affection and disaffection, between performance and promise. On a lighter note, between the beauty and the hideousness. For the first time, let’s have a fine face to adorn our space. Last week, I had the privilege of being in a high-powered meeting…

By Prof. Mike A.A. Ozekhome, SAN, CON, OFR, LL.D, Crafting a tribute to someone as towering as Aremo Olusegun Osoba is akin to navigating a labyrinth of accolades where every path seems well trodden. Whether you aspire to extol baba Osoba as a Journalist, a Politician, a Statesman, or as the embodiment of a man who lives life to the fullest whilst enriching humanity, each facet of his persona has already been immortalised in praise.Indeed, in the chronicles of journalism and politics in Nigeria, the name Aremo Olusegun Osoba will always resonate and reverberate with distinction. He just turned 85.   In the grand tapestry of Nigerian journalism and politics, Aremo stands tall. This is a man whose life and…

As part of the activities marking the 2024 Isese Day celebration in Lagos, the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared Tuesday, August 20, as a work-free day for all public servants in the state. Following the development, work would resume in all public offices including courts, across the state on Wednesday, allowing traditional worshippers celebrate their day. The Governor’s approval was made public through a circular signed by the Head of Service, Bode Agoro, with Ref. No: CIR/HOS/124/Vol.1/66. According to the circular, “It is hereby notified for general information that this Year’s Isese Day Celebration will hold on Tuesday, 20th…

Manchester City got their Premier League title defence off to a winning start as goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Enzo Maresca in his first match in charge of Chelsea. Haaland marked his 100th appearance for the club with his 91st goal before Kovacic struck on his return to Stamford Bridge to give Pep Guardiola’s men the perfect start to their attempt to win a record fifth consecutive English top-flight title. AFP

Joshua Zirkzee marked his debut for Manchester United by coming off the bench and scoring an 87th-minute goal to give his team a 1-0 victory over Fulham on the opening night of the Premier League season on Friday. The Netherlands striker poked out his left foot to guide home a cross by fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho at Old Trafford. Zirkzee, who joined from Bologna for a reported $47 million last month, was one of three offseason signings to make their first appearances for United, along with defenders Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt.

The Ondo State Government on Friday commenced the payment of ₦3.2 billion in outstanding gratuity to pensioners in the state. Speaking at the event in Akure, State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa stated that the ₦3.2 billion disbursement would cover the total gratuity owed to retirees from 2015 under the State Pension Scheme. Aiyedatiwa explained that of this amount, ₦1 billion would be allocated to cover the gratuity for local government retirees from 2012 and 2013, while ₦2.2 billion would address the 2015 gratuity for state pensioners. “Our well-conceived approach to gratuity payment aims to tackle the significant arrears that have, more…

Former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, on Wednesday said that he never collected bribes from any contractor throughout his tenure as governor. Shekarau said this in Abuja at a news briefing to unveil the activities marking the 70th Anniversary of the Muslim Student’s Society of Nigeria. He also said he never touched local government funds throughout the eight years. He said, ”I may not be the only one but you may be very sure I’m one of very few governors that, for eight years, never touched local government money. ”And in my 44 years of public leadership, I…