Author: Festus Adeloye

The Ogun State House of Assembly has called on Ministries, Departments, and government agencies to embrace transparency and accountability in allocating and utilising public funds to maximise the value of government resources. The Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Musefiu Lamidi, made this call during the commencement of the 2025 budget defence held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Monday. Lamidi described the budget defence as a significant event in the governance process, emphasising that the focus of the exercise is not merely to discuss figures but to assess the impact of the proposed programmes and…

Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has been crowned the 2024 Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, winning the award for the second consecutive year. The announcement was made during the prestigious award ceremony held on Monday at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco. The 24-year-old edged out Andile Dlamini, Khadija Er-rmichi, Habiba Sabry, and Fideline Ngoy to the crown. Nnadozie’s stellar season, marked by outstanding performances for club and country, made her the standout choice in a rigorous voting process. Her exceptional form in France’s Division 1 Féminine played a key role in her win. Representing Paris FC, Nnadozie was…

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has signed the 2025 budget of ‘Sustaining Transformation and Inclusive Development’ into law, ten days after presenting the draft proposal to the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The total budget is N790,439,580,083, with a focus on rural development. The capital expenditure is N551,582,867,194, while recurrent expenditure amounts to N238,856,712,888.86. Speaking after signing the budget on Monday, the Governor commended the Kaduna State House of Assembly for the swift passage of the 2025 budget within ten days of its presentation. He stated that the legislature had invited all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to defend their…

President Bola Tinubu has approved free transportation nationwide ahead of Christmas celebration. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, announced this while briefing State House correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by the President on Monday. He said the Federal Government will commence a nationwide free train services from the 20th of December to 5th of January 2025. He also announced that FG has renamed the University of Abuja to Yakubu Gowon University. On the 2025 budget, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun disclosed that the cabinet also deliberated extensively on the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced a landmark arrest of a total number of 792 suspects for offences bordering on cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam. EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, who briefed journalists at the commission’s office in Lagos on Monday said the suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, in a surprise operation at their hideout, an imposing seven-storey edifice known as Big Leaf Building, on No.7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Uwujaren said, “The breakthrough followed actionable intelligence and months of surveillance and monitoring the activities of the syndicate.Among the…

The presentation of the N47.9tn 2025 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, initially scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, has been postponed to Wednesday, December 18. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had previously announced during Thursday’s plenary that the President would address the National Assembly to present the budget on December 17. Akpabio confirmed that the presentation would take place in the House of Representatives Chamber. He added that plenary would commence at 10:30 am, after which senators would proceed in a formal procession to the House Chamber for the budget session. Last month,…

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths of two Okuama community leaders, Pa James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, while in Army custody. Oghoroko, the President-General of the Okuama community, and 81-year-old Okugbaye, the community’s treasurer, reportedly died six days apart after being detained by the military. The duo along with four others — Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Mrs. Mabel Owhemu, and Mr. Dennis Malaka — were arrested during a military operation conducted between August 18 and 20, 2024. The arrests followed the killing of 17 soldiers on March 14,…

President Bola Tinubu is presiding over the 21st meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the State House, Abuja. Monday’s meeting began at 01:20 pm. when Tinubu arrived at the Council Chamber. It is arguably the last for 2024. Seated are the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the President’s Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack and all ministers and ministers of state. Vice President Kashim Shettima is not attending the meeting as he is away in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to represent President Tinubu at…

Russell Martin has been sacked as Southampton boss after suffering a chastening 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. It was the Saints’ 13th loss in 16 Premier League matches this season, a torrid run which has seen them pick up just five points. Their latest defeat left them nine points from safety. Martin guided the club to promotion from the Championship via the play-offs last season, but struggled to impose his possession-heavy philosophy in the English top-flight, and often batted away suggestions his side could implement a more pragmatic style. The club confirmed that under-21’s boss Simon Rusk would…

The Defence Headquarters has refuted claims that the French military was planning to establish a base in Nigeria. A human rights activist, Mahdi Shehu, criticised the government on Saturday in a post for denying the development. In a video-accompanied post, Shehu claimed that some French military officers had arrived in Borno State as part of the process to set up the base. The post partly read, “Last week, the Chief of Defence Staff denied any plan to establish French military bases in Nigeria. “Yesterday, the Chief of Army Staff received the first contingent of French soldiers and immediately deployed them…