Author: Amina Mohammed

A male athlete from Plateau State, Gyang Nyango and a female from Kenya, Peninah Arusel have won the 45km Elite Race in the male and female categories of the 2024 maiden Rivers State Marathon. Green also said that Rivers United Under-17 Team won gold medal in the maiden National Under 17 Football League tournament in Benin; Rivers Hoopers Basketball Club won the Premiership Basketball Tournament here in Nigeria, all within less than one year of Governor Fubarautes and 23 seconds to clinch the Gold Medal and win the prize of $10m and  N5m support from the State Government. Iliya Pam…

A former Minister of Education, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, has called out the Nigerian military and the government over the persistent insecurity plaguing the country. In a statement released on her X account on Saturday, Ezekwesili expressed condolences to the families of soldiers killed in Abia, demanding answers from the military and government on their failure to address the recurring violence. Ezekwesili questioned the inability of security operatives to arrest, investigate, prosecute, and punish criminals, urging the President to take leadership and ensure the security of the country. She wrote, “The #DefenceInfoNG #HQNigerianArmy: As a citizen who highly values the role…

The Abia State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has promised to comply with the directive of NLC and the Trade Union Congress to begin an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday. The NLC and TUC declared the strike on Friday following the Federal Government’s failure to conclude and pass into law a new National Minimum Wage Act and reverse the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kwh. The Abia NLC chairman, Ogbonnaya Okoro, disclosed this in an interview on Friday. “We will join the strike. By this weekend, we will start mobilisation and join others. The order is just coming this…

Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after his Al Nassr side lost the Saudi King’s Cup final to Al Hilal in a penalty shootout on Friday to end the season without a trophy. Al Hilal triumphed 5-4 on penalties to complete the league and cup double after the match in Jeddah ended 1-1 in regulation time and extra time failed to provide a winner. Following Al Nassr’s defeat, Ronaldo sunk to the turf and was inconsolable as teammates and coaching staff tried to comfort him. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was eventually led off the field but continued to be…

A suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory after spending 27 months in detention. Kyari was detained following his arrest on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged involvement with an international drug cartel. Kyari, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—was arraigned on March 7, 2022. Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka  Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged. While Kyari…

A former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has called for the implementation of fiscal federalism, where states receive funds commensurate with their contributions to the federation account. Adewole, who also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, made this call during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande” programme on Friday. “I am an apostle of fiscal and physical federalism,” Adewole stated, advocating for states to be allowed to develop based on their own resources. He urged governors to grant local government areas the autonomy to function as an independent tier of government. Adewole…

The federal government and its development partners have expressed their readiness to initiate a review of the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015 to protect the Nigerian younger generation. This move comes as a response to the negative trend of tobacco smoking among underaged children and the recalcitrant attitude of tobacco manufacturers who prioritize profit over public health. Speaking during the commemoration of World No Tobacco Day in Abuja on Friday, May 31, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, emphasised the urgent need to protect children from the harmful effects of tobacco. According to the World…

Music executive Don Jazzy and Grammy-winning singer Wizkid have resolved their online feud following a recent social media dispute. Don Jazzy expressed his gratitude after Wizkid endorsed his signee, Ayra Starr’s sophomore album, “The Year I Turned 21.” Wizkid had endorsed the album, which was released on Friday, May 31, on his X handle. Sharing the album cover and streaming link, Wizkid wrote: “Superstar”. Don Jazzy reposted Wizkid’s tweet with the caption; “Thanks Big Wiz.” Recall that the Wizkid shaded Don Jazzy after his signee Ladipoe seemingly ridiculed him in an X post for claiming that ‘hip hop is dead’.…

President Bola Tinubu has defended the government’s decision to re-introduce the old national anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’, stating that it was a priority for him. During a meeting with the Arewa Consultative Forum at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu pushed back against criticism, asserting that the reintroduction of the old national anthem is a valid priority, contrary to claims that it is a misplaced one. The President caused controversy by signing a bill that reinstated the former national anthem. “Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has cancelled the 10, 000 jobs in the State Civil Service approved by his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, saying a fresh recruitment process would be carried out. Before leaving office, Governor Wike approved the immediate employment of a significant number of youths to fill existing vacancies in the state’s workforce, effective immediately. However, Fubara during an interactive session with stakeholders in Port Harcourt, on Friday, said he cancelled the recruitment because the process was flawed and compromised by those entrusted to handle it. He stated that a more transparent process would commence soon, expressing sadness that…