Author: Amina Mohammed

Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has said her experiences at the just-concluded 2024 Olympic games in France, have made her realise how strong she is to confront life’s challenges. In a series of tweets on X, Ofili said she was proud of her outing at the games despite the unfavourable outcome. “It’s easy to feel defeated, but every setback is a setup for a comeback. I’m proud of myself, this Olympics made me realize how strong I am and I’m grateful for the support from my coach, family and fans. “Trusting God’s plan and ways is the only way to heal…

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the mpox surge in Africa was now a global public health emergency, sounding its highest possible alarm over the worsening situation. The WHO called a meeting of experts to study the outbreak and make a recommendation to the UN health agency’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” Tedros told a press conference. “This is something that should concern us all. “WHO is committed in the days and weeks…

…Tasks them to be good Rivers Ambassadors Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has charged the newly sworn-in Commissioners and Special Advisers to consider their appointments as a call to duty and as such should work hard to become good ambassadors and add value to governance in the State. Governor Fubara who gave the charge at the Executive Council Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, while addressing guests and dignitaries, shortly after the swearing-in of five new commissioners and two Special Advisers, urged the appointees to be resilient and focused on the discharge of their duties and be…

No fewer than 29 chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State have announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress in the state, ahead of the governorship election scheduled for November 16. This was announced in a joint statement signed by the 29 defectors on Wednesday. The statement was titled ‘We Have Joined the APC.’ According to the statement, some of the defectors were chieftains who held various positions during the eight years of Olusegun Mimiko’s administration. They include a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mrs Jumoke Akindele; a former Chief Press Secretary to Governor…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of four new permanent secretaries for the Federal Capital Territory Administration. The appointments, according to a statement signed by the FCTA Director of Press, Anthony Ogunleye, on Wednesday, were necessitated by the imminent retirement of two of the previously appointed secretaries and the creation of the Youth Development Secretariat. The newly appointed secretaries are Okeke Joy Chinwe (South East), Ajayi Rotimi Babatunde (South West), and Nathan Nancy Sabanti (North East). Tinubu also approved the formalisation of the position of the Solicitor-General of the FCT Administration as Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary for the Legal Services Secretariat.…

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has expressed delight at the high level of synergy among members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) amid the numerous operational successes being recorded against terrorists, insurgents, kidnappers and other criminal elements in the country. He made this remark on Tuesday while being briefed at the Strategic Operations Centre, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force. The CDS also commended the AFN for the renewed efforts in the fight against oil theft in the Niger Delta region which, according to him, was in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu…

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers celebrated three years in power on Wednesday with a military parade paying homage to their homemade bombs used in war, fighter aircraft and goose-stepping security forces. The Taliban’s armed forces towed Soviet-era tanks and artillery pieces through the former US air base in Bagram, where Chinese and Iranian diplomats were among hundreds who gathered for the parade and speeches. The former Bagram base once served as the linchpin for US-led operations against the Taliban for two decades. A swarm of motorbikes strapped with yellow jerry cans, often used to carry homemade bombs during the fight against international…

Prominent national personalities have continued with their criticisms against the House of Representatives bill prescribing a 10-year jail for those who refused to recite the national anthem. The Bill, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, is set for its second reading, where its general principles will be debated. In May, President Bola Tinubu signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem which was dropped by a military government in 1978. The newly re-adopted anthem, which begins “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda. The Bill “stipulates that…

France has launched a cyberbullying probe following a complaint by Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif, who was at the centre of a gender controversy at the Paris Olympic Games, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The controversy has rapidly become a hot-button issue outside the ring, with politicians and celebrities including Donald Trump and Elon Musk weighing in. The investigation was opened Tuesday into “cyberharassment” following the high-profile gender row at the Games, the Paris public prosecutor’s office told AFP. The athlete’s lawyer Nabil Boudi said last week that Khelif, 25, had filed a complaint for online harassment, calling it a…

The leadership of the Ondo State’s Labour Party has disassociated itself from the Secretary General of the Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Chief Olusola Ebiseni. Ebiseni claims to be the candidate of the party in the forthcoming November 16 governorship election in the state. The party in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh on Wednesday also said that Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi emerged as its flag bearer for the state governorship election after its primaries held in Akure in June. Olorunfemi said that Ebiseni who contested for the governorship of the opposition People’s Democratic Party in the state but…