Author: Festus Adeloye

The Federal Government said it is optimistic that the impasse over the new minimum wage will be resolved next week. The Ministers of Information and Labour gave this indication after the closed-door session between President Bola Tinubu and the leaders of organised labour in the state house on Thursday. The meeting, which lasted about an hour, is to reconvene next week. The meeting on the new minimum wage follows the president’s decision to have more engagement with stakeholders, before a decision is taken on the matter. The secretary to the government of the federal, some ministers, heads of agencies and…

US President Joe Biden, under intense scrutiny over his fitness to serve, accidentally introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian strongman Vladimir Putin at a NATO ceremony before correcting himself. “Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said on Wedneday. Biden quickly corrected himself, saying, “I’m so focused on beating President Putin, we’ve got to worry about it.” AFP

The Niger Delta Development Commission said it has commenced emergency repairs of the failed sections of the East West-Road between Ahoada and Ula-Okobo town in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, who inspected the ongoing repair works at the failed sections of the East-West Road between Ahoada and Ula-Okobo town in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, appealed to motorists to cooperate with the contractor undertaking the repairs. This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, and…

The Senate has rejected a bill seeking to use gold to shore up the nation’s reserves in defence of the economy. The bill sponsored by Senator Sani Musa ( APC, Niger East) titled “ Foreign Exchange (Control and Monitoring) Bill, 2024 (SB. 353)” was thrown out after debates by lawmakers who opposed it. Musa stated that the bill was read for the first time on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. He noted that the bill sought to repeal the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act, Cap. F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish a Foreign Exchange Market…

Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday the dismissal of almost his entire cabinet and consultations to form a “broad-based government” following widespread anti-government protests. He said the move affects all ministers including the attorney-general but excluded prime cabinet secretary and foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Ruto said he decided on the dismissals “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my cabinet and its achievements and challenges”. The action follows largely peaceful protests led by young Gen-Z Kenyans that have widened into…

President Bola Tinubu is currently engaged in a closed-door meeting with the leadership of organised labour at the State House, Abuja. The discussion is expected to focus on the contentious issue of the new national minimum wage. The labour delegation, comprising representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, arrived at the State House around 2 pm. The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and TUC President, Festus Osifo, led their respective teams to the crucial talks. This meeting follows recent developments where the Tripartite Committee on the new national minimum wage submitted two conflicting figures to the President.…

Comedian Basketmouth has clarified his recent shade aimed at Wizkid, stating it was a marketing tactic to generate buzz for his Canadian tour. During Davido and Chioma’s wedding, Basketmouth jokingly lamented the difficulty in promoting his tour due to the attention focused on the wedding, even overshadowing Wizkid’s social media drama. The comment sparked backlash from Wizkid’s fans, who threatened to “cancel” him. However, in a recent interview on Backstage Banter, Basketmouth revealed that his intention was to create a stir and get people talking, which ultimately worked in his favor. He assured that Wizkid is a friend and the…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has said the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act were designed for money and contract sharing and not the country’s development. He also challenged politicians and other stakeholders to highlight one successful commercialised or privatised government entity in Nigeria. He alleged that privatized Nigerian-owned entities are for the benefit of a few individuals rather than the entire Nigerians. Explaining his stance against the Petroleum Industry Act while featuring on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Thursday, the legal luminary insisted that the PIA was designed for revenue sharing for the benefit of a…

The late former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, is to be laid to rest in his hometown of Oginibo, Ughievwen Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on Friday, July 12, 2024. This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Burial Planning Committee, Chief Emmanuel Avworo, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Thursday. Gbagi, who was Delta State Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, died on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the age of 62 years. According to the…

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has met with the US President Joe Biden, saying the special relationship between the two nations remains stronger than ever. BBC reports that the new prime minister met President Biden for the first time at Nato’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington just hours before their private talks in the Oval Office. Starmer said his first face-to-face talks with President Biden were an opportunity to “recommit” to Nato and the “special relationship” between the UK and US. Addressing reporters in the White House, Starmer told the president: “The special relationship is so important. It’s forged…