Author: Festus Adeloye

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the release of funds for the payment of pension arrears, salary increases, and other entitlements owed to retired military personnel, following two days of peaceful protests at the Federal Ministry of Finance by military veterans. Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, announced the development on Friday, expressing gratitude to the President for his swift intervention. Matawalle commended Tinubu for ensuring the prompt payment of the three-month salary increase and the release of funds for the settlement of pension arrears and other owed entitlements to retired military personnel. In a statement issued by…

Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, on Thursday, ordered Chidimma Ojukwu’s co-defendants to open their defence. Ojukwu, charged with the murder of the Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga, alongside Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu, are standing trial for Ataga’s murder. She and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga. The two were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15,…

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Bayo Onanuga, has said work is currently ongoing at the 150,000 barrels per day plant of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State. PHRC has two plants including the 60,000bpd facility, and the 150,000bpd plant. Onanuga also said the 60,000bpd refinery is operating at 70 per cent of installed capacity and plans to increase production shortly. He further said the refinery receives regular crude oil contrary to claims of lacking the product. He disclosed this after joining a fact-finding team at the 60,000 barrels per day refinery…

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will reportedly face no formal action from the Football Association despite adding a Christian message to his rainbow armband in defiance of a warning regarding the display of religious messages. The player and the club had been reminded of FA kit regulations after Guehi wore an armband with the handwritten message “I love Jesus” during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle. On Tuesday, the 24-year-old wore one stating “Jesus loves you” during Palace’s 1-0 win at Ipswich, but British media reported on Wednesday that the FA would still not take action. The club and the England…

The Senate has constituted a special committee to meet the executive to work with the Federal Government to resolve the issues around the tax reform bills. This was made known by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided during plenary on Wednesday. Barau noted that the delegation will meet on Thursday at the National Assembly to resolve all the issues that have been the cause of the uproar. He said, “We don’t want the country disunited. So, the delegations will meet to resolve the gray areas.” The committee members include all the Senate leadership, including other members like Tahir…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called off its planned strike in Akwa Ibom State after Governor Umo Eno signed a new minimum wage agreement with organized labor ahead of the deadline. NLC Akwa Ibom Chairman, Sunny James, announced the development in Uyo on Wednesday. He stated that the state government has agreed to pay a new minimum wage of ₦80,000 starting from November 1, 2024. Additionally, the monthly pension for retirees has been increased by ₦32,000. James explained: “Following the signing of the New Minimum Wage Agreement on December 3, 2024, between the Government of Akwa Ibom and Organized…

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has announced a clampdown on vehicles with tinted windows and covered number plates as part of efforts to curb rising criminal activities such as kidnapping. In a statement posted on X.com late Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, warned vehicle owners in the FCT to remove any tinted glass from their vehicles or face the risk of having their cars impounded. She wrote, “For now, the use of tinted glasses on vehicles is prohibited. “If your vehicle has tinted glasses, kindly remove them to avoid having your vehicle impounded by the police. “This…

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faced demands to resign on Wednesday after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law was voted down by lawmakers and brought thousands of protesters to the streets. Yoon’s shock bid to impose martial law on South Korea for the first time in over four decades plunged the country into the deepest turmoil in its modern democratic history and caught its close allies around the world off guard. The United States, which stations nearly 30,000 troops in South Korea to protect it from the nuclear-armed North, initially voiced deep concern at the declaration, then relief…

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was sent off for the first time in his 866-match career on Tuesday, seeing a straight red for a last-man foul on Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong. The 38-year-old rushed out of the box in typical fashion 18 minutes in to the German Cup last 16 clash, taking out an advancing Frimpong. Neuer was shown straight red, bringing Israel ‘keeper Daniel Peretz on for his Bayern debut, and was seen apologising to coach Vincent Kompany after leaving the field. Bayern’s captain has received a yellow card 23 times during his career. All have come at club…

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday threatened to remove committee chairmen in the Senate who failed to perform optimally in the discharged of their statutory oversight functions. Akpabio queried how heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the federal government continued to disregard invitation to appear before committees of the National Assembly for questioning. Akpabio made these assertions during plenary while responding to the concerns of Bauchi Central Senator, Abdul Ningi, alleging that the Senate Committee on Finance failed to carry out oversight on 92 revenue generating agencies. The Senate President said the Senate leadership would not hesitate to…