Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

South Africa will use its presidency of the G20, the first by an African nation, to put the priorities of the African continent onto the agenda of the powerful global economic forum, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday. South Africa took over the rotating presidency of the grouping of the world’s biggest economies on December 1 and will host its summit in November before handing over to the United States. It is a “great moment for our continent” as well as for developing countries known as the Global South, Ramaphosa said at a briefing to launch the presidency. “We will use…

President Tinubu has arrived in Cape Town, South Africa for the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC). He was received by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Roland Lamola, alongside Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

A US judge upheld her decision to reject Elon Musk’s massive $55.8 billion compensation package at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the pay deal through a shareholder vote on Monday. In a court filing, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery ruled that Tesla’s attempt to ratify Musk’s compensation package through a June shareholder vote could not override her January decision striking down the package as excessive and unfair to shareholders. McCormick found multiple flaws in Tesla’s ratification attempt, including “material misstatements” in documents provided to shareholders about the effect of their vote. “The motion to revise is…

The Enugu State Government and Austrian firm, WANDE NEXUS, on Monday, signed a $100m deal to implement the Sustainable Last Mile Connectivity and Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project in Enugu. With the signing, which took place at the Government House, Enugu, in the presence of the Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Thomas Schlesinger, the firm will be injecting the fund as Foreign Direct Investment to modernise water infrastructure. Governor Peter Mbah described the signing as an example of the relationship that could exist between a sub-sovereign and a sovereign, as well as a major step to getting water to the last mile…

Low-earning pensioners are now permitted to withdraw their total retirement savings en bloc or continue to receive their monthly pension pending the approval of the Minimum Pension Guarantee. This is according to a memo by the National Pension Commission, which was signed by the Head of the Surveillance Department of Pencom, simply identified as A.M Salem. In the memo, dated November 27, 2024, the commission said the development followed the new section 4.1 (g) of the revised regulation on the administration of retirement and terminal benefits in line with the new minimum wage of N70,000. Before this announcement, retirees were…

Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, on Wednesday disclosed how he narrowly escaped death by an act of providence in the tragic boat mishap that occurred along Bennett Island River in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State last weekend. Five persons were confirmed dead in the accident, with several others rescued or missing, including a toddler found floating lifeless in the water for over an hour. The boat, reportedly conveying about 30 passengers from a burial ceremony, had a head-on collision with a submerged log in the waterway. Speaking through his…

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday for a state visit to France, following an invitation from President Emmanuel Macron. A statement issued on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, explained that the three-day visit will focus on strengthening political, economic, and cultural relations, as well as establishing more opportunities for partnerships, particularly in agriculture, security, education, health, youth engagement and employment, innovation, and energy transition. The visit promises significant benefits for Nigeria. The statement also noted that President Tinubu and his wife, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, will be received on Thursday at…

The University of Ibadan is set to construct a new Senate Building at Heritage Park, one of its popular recreational spots. A university senate building is a central administrative facility that houses the university senate, governing council chamber, offices, and other necessary facilities. The senate is the university’s highest decision-making body for academic matters. The Management’s decision to cut down rows of lined up trees at the famous Park has continued to generate flurry of reactions from alumni and students. Heritage Park is located along Oduduwa road, opposite Queen Elizabeth Hall. Besides a fountain being one of its distinguishing feature, the park…

The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Jarett Tenebe has said some lawyers are deceiving Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to go to court and challenge the September 21 election results. Speaking in an interview with TheNation, Tenebe said those urging Ighodalo to go to court are taking advantage of his inexperience in politics and are interested in collecting his money. “It is a victory for democracy, the rule of law, the good people of Edo State, and other well-meaning Nigerians who love democracy. What do you expect from the…

Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has congratulated Dr. Igho Ofotokun on his award by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). Ofotokun of Emory University School of Medicine,  received the 2024 Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement in recognition of an exceptionally productive career devoted to addressing systemic inequities in research, promoting women’s health, nurturing a global research programme targeting the prevention and treatment of disease, and mentoring the next generation of HIV clinical and translational researchers. Fauci wrote ” To Igho Ofotokun, Congratulation on your NFID award! Best personal regards. Tony Fauci”. An internationally renowned clinician-scientist, Ofotokun,…