Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Reinstated deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Sunday, said the fight against his impeachment is to protect the office of the deputy governors in the country which has been ridiculed since the return of democracy in 1999. Shaibu, who stated this after a thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Benin, the state capital, said his victory is for democracy. He said it was disheartening that some governors have continued to treat their deputy with disdain despite running on the same ticket. Shaibu noted that there must be an effort by the National Assembly to enact laws…

A member of the House of Representatives from Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, has gifted his daughter, Aisha, a new Sport Utility Vehicle as a gift on her graduation from a secondary school, Lead British International School Abuja. Aisha was said to have excelled in her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, and to mark the achievement, her father surprised her with the luxury vehicle. Sharing pictures from the graduation ceremony on Instagram on Saturday, Gagdi wrote, “Today, I attended my amazing daughter’s graduation ceremony. Watching you, my dear daughter, walk across that stage fills my heart with immense pride and love. “I…

Lagos State Government has denied reports suggesting that worshippers will be charged for parking around churches. The government debunked the claims in a statement on Sunday by the General Manager of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA), Mrs Adebisi Adelabu. She said the state’s parking policy will affect all motorists who intend to utilise the newly created 1,800 parking slots of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA). According to her, the parking policy is designed to mitigate parking-induced traffic congestion across the state. The Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) has noted with concern a recent social media post regarding parking…

The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Orji Kalu, has backed calls for part-time legislature at both federal and state levels. Speaking to reporters at an event in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Saturday, Kalu said the move would help reduce the cost of governance and enhance the people’s trust in the system. The former Governor of Abia state also supported calls for a constitutional amendment. He said, “I think it will be a very good idea if my colleagues and other members of the Houses of Assembly will agree that we can sit for…

The national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, are to play Serbia in an Olympics warm-up game at the Belgrade Arena, starting at 17:00 GMT (5 pm Nigerian time). This is the team’s second match ahead of the Women’s Basketball Tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games starting July 26 in Paris, France, following a 77-63 defeat to Germany at the UBER Arena in Berlin on Friday. Enjoying the support of Nigerians resident in Berlin and other German cities, Randy Waldrum’s charges put up a virtuoso performance, the narrow loss to the Europeans notwithstanding. The African champions are now poised to replicate that…

Enugu State Governor, Governor Peter Mbah, has accused a Finland-based Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, of murdering and terrorising residents of Nigeria’s South-East. Ekpa, a self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the IPOB, has been allegedly linked to some deadly attacks and enforcement of illegal sit-at-home orders in the region. The governor who received members of the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence in Enugu, accused the Biafra agitator of being a “scammer” who has been “feeding fat” on the suffering of Igbos. “It is surprising that the Finnish government allows this man to reside peacefully in their country and…

National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Vice President, North Central Zone, Akoshile Mukhtar has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the nomination of Mrs Omolola Oloworaran for the position of Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom). This is coming in response to criticisms claiming that the nominee lacks the “15 years cognate experience in pension matters” required by the Pension Reform Act. Mukhtar addressing the criticisms in a statement, provided a detailed defense of the nominee’s qualifications, stressing that “cognate experience” should be understood as relevant experience in financial management and investment, areas in which the nominee has significant…

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote says he did not enjoy any incentive from the Federal Government to build his $20bn refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone. Dangote stated this on Saturday when he received the leadership of the House led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and his deputy Benjamin Kalu. “In the refinery, we did not, and I repeat, we did not collect one single incentive from the Federal Government of Nigeria or even Lagos State. Yes, the Lagos State gave us a good deal but we paid $100m for the land. It wasn’t a free land; we paid…

The Labour Party Diaspora Directorate has distanced the party and its Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi from the proposed EndBadGovernace protest. It described reports linking the party and Mr Obi to the proposed protest as baseless. This was contained in a statement signed by Amb. AJU Elumelu, Deputy Director (Diaspora), Head Media and Communications Directorate of Mobilization and Integration in Abuja, on Saturday. He said, “The Labour Party and Peter Obi have consistently championed peace and lawful conduct. Our record, especially in the aftermath of the last general election, speaks volumes about our commitment to peaceful…

Arsenal are close to finalizing a deal in principle with Bologna for the transfer of Italian international defender Riccardo Calafiori. Bologna has been holding out for a £42 million fee for the 22-year-old left-back. According to Sky Italy, ongoing discussions are focused on the payment structure and additional clauses of the agreement. Personal terms between Calafiori and Arsenal are not anticipated to be an issue. However, a significant aspect of the negotiations is Basel’s entitlement to up to 50 percent of any profit Bologna makes from the sale. Bologna acquired Calafiori last summer for £3.3 million. Calafiori impressed at Euro…