Author: Festus Adeloye

Oba of Benin. Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, on Wednesday, called on Nigerian youth and other groups to shelve the planned nationwide protest against hardship. He advised aggrieved Nigerians to give the federal government enough time to implement its economic policies which according to him, is expected to alleviate the present hardship. This was contained in a statement issued by Mr. Osaigbovo Ighodaro, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the monarch. Some youth had proposed August 1st 2024 to begin a 10-day nationwide hunger and hardship protest to draw the federal and state governments’ attention to…

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law bills to accelerate development across geo-political zones in the country. The two bills assented to by the President are the North-West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024, and the South-East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023. The North-West Development Commission is set up to facilitate the reconstruction of roads, houses, and business premises destroyed by multidimensional crises, as well as tackle poverty, literacy level, ecological problems, and any other related environmental or development challenges in North-West states. In addition, the South-East Development Commission is established to ensure the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and…

Oba Lateef Adebimpe, the esteemed Osi-Balogun of Ibadan and a prominent high chief of the beaded crown-wearing class, has passed away. The revered traditional leader died on Wednesday afternoon. Oba Adebimpe, known for his significant role in the Ibadan traditional hierarchy, was last seen on July 12 at the coronation ceremony of the new Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin. His passing marks a significant loss to the Ibadan royal family and the wider community, where he was a respected figure. The late Oba Adebimpe’s contributions to the cultural and traditional life of Ibadan will be remembered as the community mourns his…

Lionel Messi has broken his silence following Argentina’s loss to Morocco in what was a controversial match. Despite being one of the tournament favorites with a squad featuring Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Otamendi, and Enzo Fernandez, Argentina found themselves 2-0 down in Saint-Etienne due to two goals by Soufiane Rahimi. Giuliano Simeone managed to pull one back for Argentina in the 68th minute, and it seemed that Cristian Medina had leveled the score in the 106th minute. The referee added 15 minutes of stoppage time, during which Medina scored what looked like the equaliser in the 16th minute of added time…

Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Wednesday weighed in on the disagreement between the Dangote Refinery management and the Nigerian regulatory authorities. Nigerian regulatory authorities had accused Dangote Refinery of rolling out sub-standard petroleum products, a claim the company has refuted. Reacting via his X handle, Kwankwaso blamed what he described as ‘unnecessary fuss’ on vested interests, saying it could damage investor confidence in the Nigerian economy. “The creation of unnecessary fuss around its integrity by some vested interests is very unfortunate, and it stands to undo all the years of hard work to maintain the fragile investor confidence…

Fifty-seven local council chairmen in Lagos State under the umbrella of Conference 57 have urged Lagos, residents, to shun the nationwide protest by some Nigerians. There have been reports that some Nigerians, under various bodies, are planning a nationwide protest between August 1 and 10 against the rising cost of living and the economic hardship in the country. This development has prompted police and other security operatives to be on red alert over the planned nationwide protest. Recall President Bola Tinubu had also called on youths to cancel their planned protest and await the government’s response to their concerns. The…

Former spokesman to the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign, Daniel Bwala, has alleged that there may be a foreign connection to the protest being planned by some Nigerians against the rising cost of living in the country. He made the assertion in a chat with correspondents after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday. Bwala, who said he was on a solidarity visit to the president on information, said the administration is already addressing the hardship in the country through various initiatives. The ex-PDP campaign spokesman reiterated that he was on his way to joining…

Shareholders have criticised the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, for a deliberate attempt at demarketing Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals. The Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN) in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mrs. Bisi Bakare, expressed dismay over recent allegations from the petroleum regulatory agency regarding the quality of diesel produced by Dangote Petroleum Refinery. NMDPRA boss Ahmed has faced backlash for suggesting that the diesel produced by the $20 billion Dangote refinery is of inferior quality compared to imports into the country. Bakare commended Africa’s foremost industrialist,…

Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodinma, has said the planned nationwide protest is coming at the wrong time. Uzodimma cited the EndSARS movement of 2020, emphasising the fragile political environment and warning about the potential for hijack by criminals. Speaking with State House correspondents on Wednesday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, the governor urged citizens to protect the nation’s stability and avoid actions that could worsen economic hardships. His appeal follows growing public outcry and calls for nationwide protests from August 1-10, in response to economic hardship and policy decisions. So far, no…

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained on Wednesday why the Federal Government opposed planned protests over prevailing economic realities in Nigeria. He said while Nigerians have the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest, the government was aware some people were planning to hijack the demonstration to cause trouble. Idris, who stated this when he received the Charismatic Bishop Conference on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja on Wednesday, said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration acknowledges the rights of every Nigerian to engage in protests. According to him, the government is equally committed to ensuring that…