Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO, Mele Kyari, and Minister of Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, are under investigation by a Senate Ad-hoc committee for alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian petroleum sector. On Wednesday, the three officials testified before the committee, chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. Bamidele emphasised that the investigation would be thorough, with no exceptions for high-profile individuals. The probe aims to assess the compliance of NNPCL’s Direct Sale and Direct Purchase agreements with the Petroleum Industry Act, focusing on transparency and accountability within the sector.

The Nigerian Bar Association has expressed sadness over the death of the former chairman of the Ikeja Branch of the NBA, Adesina Ogunlana. Ogunlana who was Chairman of the NBA Ikeja Branch from 2016 to 2018, passed away on Tuesday. In a statement signed by the National Executive Committee of the NBA, through the National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Lawal, on Wednesday, the body said Ogunlana’s passage is a monumental loss. The statement also said that Ogundare’s term as the Chairman of the NBA Ikeja Branch between 2016 and 2018 witnessed a renaissance of some sort within the Bar, as he…

A helicopter crashed in central Nepal on Wednesday, killing all five people aboard including the pilot and four Chinese passengers. Nepal has a woeful track record on aviation safety and the Himalayan republic has seen a spate of deadly light plane and helicopter crashes over the decades. The Air Dynasty chopper was heading to Syabrubesi, a starting point for many trekking routes popular with tourists, from the capital Kathmandu. It lost contact about three minutes after taking off, a press release from the Civil Aviation Authority said, and crashed in Nuwakot district north of the capital. “All five people aboard…

The Deputy Director-General of the Asue Ogie Campaign Management, Rev. Olu Martins, has described as fake the news making the rounds that the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the September 21, 2024 election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has been disqualified from contesting the election. Martin described Ighodalo’s purported disqualification by the Court of Appeal as “a concocted story, fake, imaginary, diabolical and satanic creation of the warped minds of the opposition.” In a statement made available to newsmen in Benin, the campaign leader said, “Contrary to the fake news being peddled by merchants of lies and propaganda, no…

Troops of the Nigerian Army have destroyed several illegal refining sites in Rivers and Bayelsa States in the Niger Delta region. A video posted on the official handle of the Nigerian Nigeria Petroleum Company Limited on X, said the destruction was done during an operation by troops of the Land Component, Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe. The Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations,  Lt  Col. Jonah Danjuma, also confirmed the development in a separate statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday morning. The statement partly read, “In the operations that ensued, troops identified several illegal…

Medical doctors in Ogun State have commenced an indefinite industrial action over unresolved issues concerning their allowances. The strike, which commenced on Tuesday, was hinged on the pay disparity between federal and state medical workers. The Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, Kunle Ashimi, said the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) should be implemented to stem the exodus of medical professionals from the state. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to reach an agreement with the state government. “The government continues to plead that the issues of minimum wage and other related matters are common but my…

Thousands of UK riot police on Wednesday stood ready to deal with more potential outbreaks of violence, which erupted more than a week ago after three children were murdered. Far-right groups have planned demonstrations in more than 30 locations, with immigration lawyers and buildings hosting asylum seekers set to be the primary targets, according to posts on messaging app Telegram leaked to the British media. The government has said 6,000 specialist police are being readied to deal with England’s worst disorder in over a decade, which has seen hundreds arrested and more than 100 charged. The violence broke out after…

Igbo think tank, Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF, has dismissed as wrong, the notion that Ndigbo is not in support of the nationwide protest to end bad governance, tagged ‘EndBadGovernance Protest’ by the organisers. In a statement jointly signed by the ADF National President, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie and National Secretary, Abia Onyike, the group condemned the threats issued to Ndigbo in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, warning the perpetrators to desist forthwith from such reprehensible act. It called on the security agencies, especially the Department of State Services (DSS) to quickly go after the persons behind the threats. The group…

The Kwara State Government has placed healthcare on Outbreak Response Mode after confirmation of four deaths in the Eruda community, as a result of food poisoning from Amala and one death from Gastroenteritis. Dr. Amina El-Imam, the Kwara Commissioner for Health disclosed this during a news conference on Tuesday in Ilorin. According to her, the entire health team of the Ministry visited the community after report of a family who lost a number of their relatives, after consumption of Lafun-Amala. “On getting there, the claim was that there was an instance of food poisoning where the 70-year-old woman fell ill…

Nigeria sprint sensation, Samuel Ogazi, will compete at the final of the men’s 400m at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris, France. Ogazi, 19, running in the third semi-final, clinched third place with an impressive time of 44.41 seconds, earning him a spot in the final and setting a new personal best. The semi-final race was dominated by Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, who won with a time of 44.07 seconds, while Michael Norman of the USA secured second place with a time of 44.26 seconds. The University of Alabama undergraduate already the 200m and 400m titles at the 2023…