Author: Festus Adeloye

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has banned all forms of payments in primary and secondary schools in the state, marking the enforcement of compulsory school attendance for children of school age. The governor introduced an imprest account system for school principals and headteachers to manage the running of schools, with specific monthly allowances for their operations. Otti made this announcement in his New Year speech on Wednesday, stating, “We have stopped all forms of payments in primary and secondary schools. Not even PTA levies should be charged to any parent or guardian in any public school in the state. “We…

South Korean investigators probing a Jeju Air crash which killed 179 people in the worst aviation disaster on its soil said Wednesday they will send one of the retrieved black boxes to the United States for analysis. The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before hitting a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except two flight attendants pulled from the burning wreckage. South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site in southwestern Muan since the disaster. “The damaged flight…

The president, Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe said that he will intensify advocacy for preserving the rule of law and human rights in 2025. Osigwe made this known in his New Year message to Nigerian Lawyers, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday. According to him, the NBA under his watch, will take the front seat in advancing respect for the rule of law and human rights, and will also partner security agencies, to foster a more just and equitable society. While noting that the strength of the Nigerian Bar lies in its unity, he urged every…

The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the completion of 50 ongoing township road projects across the 18 local government areas of the state. The governor is reported to have also released funds for the completion of the projects, which include asphalt overlays, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of selected roads across the state. This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure, Ayoade Babalola, while speaking in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday. Babalola stated that the governor had approved the implementation of one of the critical components of his campaign promises to the people, focusing on…

UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Tuesday said Afghanistan’s governing Taliban authorities must reverse their ban on Afghan women working for NGOs. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women have been progressively erased from public spaces, prompting the United Nations to denounce the “gender apartheid” the administration has established. “I am deeply alarmed at the recent announcement by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan that non-governmental organisations’ licences will be revoked if they continue to employ Afghan women. This is absolutely the wrong path being taken,” Turk said in a statement. On Thursday, the Taliban’s economy…

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang are leading the group of billionaires in 2024, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The world’s 500 richest people became considerably richer in 2024, with a combined $10 trillion net worth, according to the report. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people. The tech billionaires collectively saw their wealth increase by an impressive $903 billion. US technology stocks played a key role in turbocharging the trio’s wealth, as well as the fortunes of Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey…

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Monday inaugurated the over N300 million remodelled mission hospital in Ihe community, Awgu Local Government Area. The hospital, originally established in 1976 by the Catholic Diocese of Enugu with support from the late Ihe Traditional Ruler, Dennis Nwachukwu, is now managed by the Catholic Diocese of Awgu. The remodelling was spearheaded by Ihe Development Initiative (IDI), a group comprising entrepreneurs, academics, and servicemen from the community. Represented by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, Governor Mbah lauded the IDI for aligning with the administration’s goal of improving rural healthcare access. “It…

Civil rights activist and politician Senator Shehu Sani has urged Nigerians and the government at all levels to appreciate and honour the freedom fighters who defended the country. While speaking with Newsmen on Monday, Sani made the call when he visited the tombs of six deposed Emirs in Lokoja, who refused to bow down to British colonialists. Sani, who was accompanied by his colleague, Comrade Suleiman Ahmed, admonished Nigerians and the government at all levels to appreciate freedom fighters who defended the country. “Today, I am on the visit to the tombs of the Emirs from Northern Nigerians who were…

Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage who is the leader of Reform UK, demanded an apology on Friday from his Conservative counterpart, Kemi Badenoch, after she derided claims that his upstart party now has more members than the Tories. Farage announced Thursday that Reform had surpassed Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives in memberships, hailing it as a “historic moment” and branding his anti-immigration party “the real opposition.” Badenoch, who has led the Tories since early November 2025, promptly rejected the claim. The leader of Britain’s official opposition, after it came a distant second in July’s general election, accused Farage of “fakery.” She argued the…

Cristiano Ronaldo has criticised Vinícius Jr.’s omission from the Ballon d’Or win, describing it as “unfair” and praising the integrity of the Globe Soccer Awards. Speaking at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards, where Vinícius won the Best Men’s Player accolade, Ronaldo remarked, “Vinícius Jr. should have won the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, it was clear. It was unfair. This is why I love the Globe Soccer Awards; they are honest.” The ceremony celebrated football’s finest, with Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr. also claiming the Best Forward award after an extraordinary season. Jude Bellingham, another Real Madrid star, took home the…