Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Economic Community of West African States Parliament is stepping up diplomatic efforts to prevent Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from leaving the regional bloc. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, confirmed that parliamentary diplomacy mechanisms are being deployed to engage the three nations, emphasising the importance of unity within ECOWAS. He spoke in an interview on Saturday, August 17, 2024, with newsmen in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on the sidelines of a meeting of the parliament’s Joint Committee on Administration, Finance, Budget, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, of which he is Chairman. Kalu assured…

The Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Disabled and Children, Aisha Saki, has pledged that justice will be pursued following the tragic death of nine-year-old Rummaisa Sadiq, who was allegedly raped by a chemist in Jana, Fanisau Unogo Local Government Area of Kano State. In a statement, Saki emphasized that despite attempts to divert the case, Governor Abba Yusuf’s administration is committed to ensuring that the matter is thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others. Saki, during a condolence visit to the victim’s family, declared, “There must be justice for the little girl who lost her…

Several shops have been gutted by fire at the Mgbuka Obosi Old Motor Spare Parts Market in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. It was gathered that the inferno occurred on Saturday night, mostly affecting three shops, including a provision store. The cause of the incident was attributed to a power surge as a result of a poor electrical connection in one of the burnt structures. The chairman of the market, Samuel Ifurunwa, who spoke when our correspondent visited the scene on Sunday, said he was alerted to the incident at about 3 am on Saturday, while the…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of Paul Okwuy Mbadugha, a businessman traveling to Vietnam, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Mbadugha, who was intercepted at the boarding gate on August 12, 2024, tested positive for cocaine ingestion. He was found to have excreted 88 wraps of the drug, weighing 1.710 kilograms, after being under observation for four days. According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Mbadugha claimed that he was a Lagos-based businessman who had been given the cocaine pellets by a friend in Isolo for delivery in Vietnam, with a fee of $2,000.…

South African Dricus du Plessis defended his UFC middleweight title on Sunday after a fourth-round submission win over bitter rival Israel Adesanya in a blockbuster bout at Perth Arena. In the main event of UFC 305, du Plessis appeared to be flagging against the two-time former champion before a spectacular takedown of Adesanya solidified his 185-pound belt. Du Plessis (22-2) has now won 10 fights in a row, having originally claimed the belt after beating polarising Sean Strickland in January. “I came in here to die for this belt,” du Plessis said. “I came here to take it home. Here…

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has recalled his instant reaction when he received the news of the sudden death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, over a fortnight ago, saying he was jolted. Akpabio spoke on Saturday when he led some of his colleagues on a condolence visit to the widow of the late lawmaker, Uchenna, in his Lagos residence. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, the President of the Senate said, ” I was jolted when I received the news of the death of a very dedicated and patriotic colleague, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.…

Opposition parties secured several councillor seats in Saturday’s local government council elections in Bauchi, a state in Nigeria’s North-East zone, controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of Governor Bala Mohammed.  Samira Maikano of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) was elected as councillor for Wandi Ward in the Dass Local Government Area. She won with 1,610 votes, defeating her closest rival, Bashir Abdullahi of the PDP, who received 1,352 votes. The All Progressives Congress (APC) also garnered 230 votes. The results were announced by Returning Officer Nasiru Hassan at the ward level. In Darazo Local Government Area, Yunusa Muhammed…

Former President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his condolences on Saturday over the passing of Hauwa Jega, the mother of former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. Hajiya Jega passed away on Friday night in Abuja following a brief illness. She was 86. Her funeral prayer took place at the National Mosque in Abuja on Saturday at 1:30 pm, followed by her burial at Gudu Cemetery, adhering to Islamic rites. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Buhari described Jega’s death as a profound loss. “There is no greater loss than that of a mother,” Buhari said.…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) has denied reports alleging it was selling employment slots to the public. A statement by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye on Saturday called on members of the public, especially jobseekers to disregard the rumours. According to Soneye, there was no iota of truth in the insinuations that it has employment slots on offer to anyone who wishes to buy. He described such as “antics of fraudsters” who want to take advantage of unsuspecting applicants. It cautioned that as a responsible corporate entity, recruitment into the company is…

Former presidential candidate and economist, Kingsley Moghalu has faulted direct funding of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). In a statement on Saturday via X, Moghalu argued that pipeline capital should rather be given through microfinance banks. He also criticised Africa’s emphasis on Gross Domestic Product growth, describing it as a “misguided worship”. Moghalu outlined five key pillars essential for Africa’s development and called for a shift towards a more comprehensive approach to development. According to him, Africa must focus on turning scientific advancements into commercially viable…