Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

South Africa’s new unity government under President Cyril Ramaphosa began being sworn in during a televised ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday following weeks of coalition haggling. Ahead of the 32 ministers making up the cabinet, Paul Mashatile, who has been re-appointed deputy president, was the first to take the oath. On Sunday, Ramaphosa, 71, unveiled his highly anticipated coalition government, which includes the leader of the former main opposition party and sees the number of ministries rise from 30 to 32. There are also 43 deputy ministers. His African National Congress (ANC), which has governed since the advent of…

President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the family of Kabir Yusuf, who passed away on Tuesday. Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity in a statement on Wednesday, said Yusuf, a veteran journalist was the Federal Capital Territory correspondent for The Triumph Newspaper and Radio France Internationale Hausa. “He covered the State House for many years until his passing. “The president prays for the repose of the soul of the departed and comfort to his family in this time of grief and always,” Tinubu said.

The Rivers State Police Command in an effort to contain the excesses of ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee, OSPAC, across the state has arrested over eight of the vigilante members for their alleged involvement in criminal activities. Police disclosed that the leader of the group, Felix Nwaobakata, was arrested with two human skulls and other bones in his possession. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, in a statement in Port Harcourt, Wednesday, said the action by the police was following repeated complaints from members of the public on activities of OSPAC…

The Central Bank of Nigeria has warned against the continued rejection of old series and lower denominations of the United States of American dollars by its regulated entities in Nigeria. The bank threatened to sanction lenders that rejected the currencies. This was contained in a circular dated June 27, signed by the acting director of the currency operations department, Solaja Olayemi, which was recently released on the website of the apex bank. The circular directed at Deposit Money Banks, Bureau De Change operators and the general public cautioned against the continued rejection of the old series and lower denomination of…

Directors of Access Holdings Plc and their professional advisers yesterday signed off on a N351.01 billion rights issue, paving the way for the offer to open for subscription. The formal signing ceremony held at the group’s Lagos head office, saw the directors and professional parties signing the offer documents, a ceremony that completed all pre-offer processes. Access Holdings will be offering 17.77 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to existing shareholders at N19.75 per share. The rights issue was pre-allotted on the basis of one new ordinary share for every two existing ordinary shares held as at Friday, June…

A judge on Tuesday postponed former United States’ president, Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York hush money case to September for ruling. This was as the former president seeks to have his conviction overturned following a Supreme Court ruling that granted him some immunity in a separate criminal case. In a letter on Tuesday afternoon, Judge Juan Merchan said he would resolve Trump’s motion to set aside the verdict on September 6 and postponed his sentencing, “if such is still necessary,” until September 18. Trump’s lawyers launched their effort to get the verdict tossed out just hours after the…

The South East Governors, on Tuesday, hosted former President Olusegun Obasanjo who paid the governors a solidarity visit while they decided to meet President Bola Tinubu to press for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Addressing the media, after over seven hours of marathon meeting, the Governors of the region who were all in attendance also set up a burial committee by Former Senate President, Anyim, Pius Anyim, for the late minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu. According to the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor…

The Netherlands swept into their first European Championship quarter-final since 2008 as Donyell Malen scored twice in a 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 on Tuesday. Cody Gakpo gave the Dutch an early lead but they were unable to convert pressure into a crucial second goal until the Liverpool forward set up Malen with seven minutes remaining in Munich. Romania were gritty but out-classed, lacking the quality to punish their opponents’ profligacy before Malen added his second on the counter in stoppage-time. The victory put the Oranje on course for a quarter-final clash with Turkey or Austria, who…

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the President, Dangote Industries Ltd has criticized the Central Bank Nigeria, CBN’s 30 per cent interest rates, warning that such industry policy is capable of stifling business growth and job creation in the country. This is as the business magnate also proffers solutions to sustaining existing local and foreign investments as well as attracting new investors into the country. Dangote made these known in a keynote speech delivered at the opening of a three-day Nigeria Manufacturers Summit with the theme,” Rethinking Manufacturing in Nigeria”. Reports have it that the summit, held at the Banquet Hall, State House,…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of a chairman and nine members of the board of the Family Homes Funds Limited. Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement signed Tuesday, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new board of the family home fund.’ The committee members include Mr Demola Adebise (Board Chairman), and Mr Abdul Muttalab, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2023. Others are Mr Abdullahi Musa (Executive Director, Finance) and Mr. Emeka Inegbu (Executive Director, Operations). Tinubu also appointed representatives of the Ministry of…