Author: TheScrutinyNG

The Vatican said Pope Francis is in critical condition after suffering an asthmatic respiratory crisis that required doctors to give him oxygen. Priests and nuns from around the world gathered outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 22 as the pontiff continues to battle pneumonia and a respiratory infection after being admitted over a week ago. The Catholic community here in Arizona is reacting to the news of the Pope’s deteriorating health and, as you can imagine, parishioners said they had extra prayers to say for 88-year-old pontiff. “I mean this is like our holy father, so it’s a really big…

By Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, CON, OFR, LL.D. I have carefully read and listened to former Nigerian military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s public remorse and regrets over the atrocious annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential elections. He did this 32 whopping years later. I want to very quickly say that it takes a man with strong guts and balls and a man who has become repentant, born again and has seen the face of God to publicly recant his earlier wrongful deeds and offer public apology to the entire nation. This was no doubt meant to heal gapinng…

By Kassim Afegbua I was going through a piece of one of ex-Governor Obaseki’s rottweilers, barking aloud about what he perceived as the legacies of his paymaster in his eight years of abysmal leadership, and I came to the irrevocable conclusion that the culture of shame has since departed from him. Crusoe Osagie’s diatribes were a combination of superb artefacts of shame, such kind of bold-faced admission of guilt, with a justification of Obaseki’s rotten legacies. It is no longer fashionable for me to engage Obaseki and his vuvuzelas, especially a Crusoe Osagie, planted in the rustic settings of Idumota,…

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, has denied rumours suggesting that she has resigned. Meranda’s Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, debunked the rumour on Wednesday. “I’m in the office. The speaker is in the office. I don’t know where that is coming from,” Ajiboye said in a chat with PUNCH Online. An online report suggested on Wednesday that the Speaker had resigned. A circular dated February 17, 2025, allegedly released by Meranda had also been trending for two days, with the content claiming she had resigned. However, checks on the letter circulating on social media…

The Academic Staff Union of University, Kaduna State University  Branch, has declared an indefinite strike beginning from Feb. 18 over unresolved welfare concerns. The union announced the decision in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Peter Adamu, and Secretary, Dr Peter Waziri. It was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna on Tuesday. The statement said that the action followed the approval of the union’s National Executive Council. “The Academic Staff Union of Universities, KASU branch wishes to notify the public that its National Executive Council has approved the request of the congress of the branch…

By Crusoe Osagie After an election many believed to be a heist organised by the very institutions responsible for the defense of the people’s choice, Monday Okpebholo came into office on the 12th of November, 2024 with a hefty baggage of credibility crisis. Quite frankly, his first 100 days in office have upended the chaos that accompanied the charade of an election that brought the taciturn and diminutive Senator into office. From his very first decision to sack nearly 5000 civil servants whose only crime was entering the public service in the previous administration, to the perpetual bullying of elected…

The coronation rites of the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade is ongoing as the absence of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu in Osun State is not mandatory to rob the process of its legitimacy. Chief of Staff to Oba Owoade, Rotimi Osuntola stated this in a statement sent to newsmen on Tuesday, where the Palace urged the public to dismiss a media report that the coronation rites of the new monarch would be incomplete without the Apetumodu. Osuntola, who was reacting a recent article published by a national newspaper with the title: “Alaafin’s Coronation in Jeopardy Over Unknown…

Nigeria’s headline inflation has dropped to 24.48 per cent year on year in January 2025.  This is a sharp decline from the 34.80 per cent headline inflation recorded in December 2024. This is according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The Statistician-General of the Federation Adeyemi Adeniran announced this on Tuesday. He said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) –  which measures the rate of change in prices of goods and commodities –  has declined to 24.48 per cent year on year in January. Adeniran who was speaking during a briefing in Abuja, explained that urban inflation stood at 26.09…

Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has approved the deployment of Jimoh Moshood as the new Commissioner of Police in charge of Lagos State. The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. He said the deployment was part of the I-G’s strategy to bolster internal security and enhance operational effectiveness in policing the country. Mr Moshood previously served in key positions, including CP Communications Ops, Force Headquarters, Force Public Relations Officer, and CP Eastern Port, Rivers. Mr Adejobi stated that Moshood’s extensive experience in communications, administration, and public relations, combined with…

The 78th edition of the British Academy Film Awards, popularly referred to as the BAFTA Awards, took place on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Outstanding national and international films from 2024 were recognised. The winners at the Bafta Film Awards, celebrating the best in big screen action over the past 12 months, have been revealed. Conclave and The Brutalist won big, with four each; while Wicked, Emilia Pérez, Anora, Dune: Part Two, A Real Pain and Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl won two each According to a post shared on Monday on the X handle, #BAFTA, the organisers congratulated all…