Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, has blamed President Bola Tinubu for the current challenges bedeviling Nigerians that have sparked a planned protest nationwide. In an open letter to the president posted on X, Momodu expressed concern over the difficulties faced by ordinary Nigerians and the perception that the President’s approach to governance has shifted. “Unfortunately, things have not been easy for Nigerians (except members of the privilegentsia) since you realized your lifelong ambition. And let me be frank Sir. You caused it all. You did not realize that a country is much more complicated than a State “I’m sad…

Members of the 3rd Republic House of Representatives have also called on organisers of the planned nationwide hardship protest, to shelve their plans. The group joins various bodies, individuals, government agencies and others who have called for the cancellation of the protest. In a statement on Friday, the group said it is saying “No” to the protest. “Today, we stand before you to address and add our voice, to say No to the impending critical issue in Nigeria today- The planned protest. “While the right to protest is an integral part of any democracy, it is essential to acknowledge the…

OpenAI has announced the prototype of its new search engine, SearchGPT, which aims to provide users with fast and timely answers along with clear and relevant sources. The company plans to eventually integrate SearchGPT into its ChatGPT chatbot. This development is seen as a potential challenge to Google’s dominant position in the search engine market. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, there have been concerns among Alphabet investors about OpenAI’s potential to capture market share from Google by offering new ways for consumers to seek information online. SearchGPT is designed to allow users to search in a more…

Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold has expressed his gratitude to rapper Olamide for giving him a chance at the YBNL music label. Olamide established YBNL in 2012 after releasing his second studio album, ‘YBNL’. Adekunle Gold achieved his first music hit with ‘Sade’ in 2015, a high-life cover of One Direction’s ‘Story of My Life’. He was signed to YBNL the same year, releasing his debut album ‘Gold’ before eventually leaving the label after his contract expired. In a message on X (formerly Twitter), Adekunle thanked Olamide for his significant role in his career, revealing that he designed the YBNL logo…

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 13 suspected illegal miners in the Asokoro area of Abuja in an operation on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The suspects were intercepted and arrested following credible intelligence linking them with the transportation of tons of coal and kaolin in five trucks from Nassarawa State to a site in Kaduna State. The suspects are currently undergoing interrogation and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation.

France’s high-speed rail network was hit by “malicious acts” including arson attacks that have disrupted the transport system, train operator SNCF said Friday, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. A source close to the investigation told AFP the attacks were coordinated acts of “sabotage”. “This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network,” SNCF told AFP, adding that many routes will have to be cancelled. “SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight,” the national train operator said, adding that the attacks affected its Atlantic, northern and eastern lines. “Arson…

Brazil has recorded the world’s first Oropouche virus deaths, the country’s health ministry said Thursday, after two women died of the illness spread by infected flies and mosquitos. The women from the state of Bahia in northeast Brazil were “under 30 years old, with no comorbidities, but who had signs and symptoms similar to a severe case of dengue,” the ministry said in a statement. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states there are currently known outbreaks of Oropouche in parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Peru. The Brazil health ministry said there have been 7,236…

President Bola Tinubu has allayed fears of manipulation by any interest group in the ongoing economic reforms, saying his campaign was self-sponsored, without strings, or indebtedness to any individual or institution. The President, who received a delegation of Islamic leaders led by Sheikh Bala Lau, at the State House on Thursday, said his victory at the polls was purely by divine intervention, careful planning, and diligence in getting support from Nigerians. “I have no cabal. I have no sponsors. The money I spent on the elections was my personal fortune. At some point, the odds were against me; banks were…

Following the ban on motorcycles and electric bikes in Borno State, the state police command has directed filling stations to stop selling petrol to motorcyclists. Disclosing this in a press statement obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, said the decision was made at a security meeting in the state. According to him, defaulters would be sanctioned. The statement partly read, “The command has observed the flagrant use of motorcycles, especially electrical bikes, in the state, and wishes to remind the general public that the ban on motorcycles in the state still subsists.…

The Federal Government has threatened to jail any Local Government chairmen found embezzling Federation Accounts Allocation Committee funds. This was made known by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Thursday. Fagbemi, at the 17th-anniversary annual lecture event of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria in Abuja, said none of the chairmen have immunity and would be jailed if they tamper with the funds meant for the development of their areas. He said, “Well, we have a situation on our hands; I know that it is still there; the conduct of elections…