Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Ekiti State Executive Council has approved ₦4.15bn for various projects, including road rehabilitation, renovation of the House of Assembly complex, agricultural initiatives, and the construction of hostels. The Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, announced the SEC’s August 26 approvals in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Tuesday. Olatunbosun revealed that the SEC approved a ₦2.71bn contract with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation for the rehabilitation of the De-Head to Faglo, Basiri Junction Road in Ado Ekiti, as part of efforts to ensure the state’s roads are well-maintained and motorable. “Rehabilitation of the road is…

Troops of the Forward Operating Base in Potiskum, Yobe State have arrested a suspect for smuggling farm machinery and input out of the state. Disclosing this in a statement on Tuesday, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Yobe State Governor, Dahiru Abdulsalam said the agricultural items were concealed in a blue coloured 18-seater bus with registration number KTY 449 YG along Potiskum-Gombe road in the state. He said the suspect who hails from Jigawa State, does not have any allocation letter for the items. On interrogation, the suspect revealed that he bought the items from one Alhaji Babaji…

Sid Eudy, a six-time wrestling champion and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) icon, passed away on Monday aged 63 following a lengthy battle with cancer, his family announced. Eudy – known among fans as Sid Justice, Sid Vicious and Sycho Sid – rose to fame in the 1990s as one of the industry’s “most imposing and terrifying competitors of his generation”, according to the WWE. His son, Gunnar Eudy remembered him as “a man of strength, kindness, and love” who will be “greatly missed”. Thanking people for their support on Facebook, Gunnar said the family “appreciate your thoughts and prayers as…

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to ban candidates under 18 years old from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exams, a move that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has supported. During an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics,’ the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, announced the enforcement of an existing age policy, which sets 18 as the minimum age for secondary school leaving examinations. This policy means that underage candidates will no longer be permitted to take the WASSCE and Senior…

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has directed Air Component Commanders, to step up military operations and hit terrorists and oil thieves hard. Abubakar issued the directive in Abuja during a virtual meeting held on Monday, lauding them for their outstanding performance so far. He highlighted the critical role they have played in ensuring the safety and security of the nation, saying their  dedication and tactical efforts have led to a series of successful missions. “The Service, and indeed the entire nation, are proud of your achievements,” the CAS stated was quoted in a statement by the…

Nigeria’s under-20 women’s football team, the Falconets, on Monday in Bogota lost 0-1 to their Mexican counterparts in a friendly match. The match played at the Club Banco de la República in the Colombian capital city was the final game in their preparations for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup held there. Mexico scored the lone goal in the 15th minute, through a volley by Alejandra Lomelí. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2010 and 2014 silver medalists had on Friday beaten Australia 2-1 as part of their preparations. Speaking after Monday’s match, Falconets’ team head coach Christopher…

President Emmanuel Macron on Monday denied any political link to the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov as the tech tycoon spent a second day in French custody following his surprise arrest at a Paris airport. Numerous questions have been raised about the timing and circumstances of Durov’s detention, which a source close to the case said had been extended until Wednesday. The 39-year-old billionaire is accused of failing to curb the spread of illegal content on Telegram, which has over 900 million users. The company has rejected the accusations. Born in Soviet times into a family of academics in…

State media said Tuesday that Vietnam’s national assembly will elect the country’s new president in October. This is the latest top-level change during an unusually turbulent period for the communist state. The presidency is one of the key roles in Vietnam’s four-pillar leadership structure, which also includes the Communist Party general secretary — the top position — the prime minister, and the head of the National Assembly. “The National Assembly will complete the presidency position at its regular session in October,” state-run Voice of Vietnam said Tuesday, quoting national assembly sources. Current President To Lam was named general secretary or…

Nigeria’s first-ever Olympics medalist, Nojim Maiyegun, has been reported dead. This was disclosed late Monday by an Austria-based acquaintance of the deceased identified as Rudolfine Soultan (Funmilayo) on her Facebook post. The post read, “My Jimylein (Jimmy) is dead. I can’t say more about this right now because it’s just horrible. By the day after tomorrow, we would have been together for 17 years.” In a check by our correspondent, on August 29, 2023, Maiyegun, popularly known by the monikers — Jimmy, Market Boxer and Omo Oloja; wrote in a Facebook post, with a picture of himself and Soultan, “16…

The forthcoming governorship election in the state has top contenders including Ighodalo, Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ighodalo, former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), was anointed by the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, who shunned his deputy and party man, Philip Shaibu. The PDP candidate said he would improve the lives of the people of the state if elected as governor as he feels their sufferings. Ighodalo said, “I’ve been round the whole state; 192 wards. I’ve been round the state. I talk to the people, high…