Author: Festus Adeloye

The Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has given the Federal Government two weeks to pay the four months withheld salaries. The JAC has also threatened to shutdown universities and inter- universities centres if the government failed to pay the withheld salaries at the expiration of the two weeks ultimatum. The two non teaching staff unions in a letter to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, accused the government of neglect and insincerity. In the letter titled: “Re- Four (4) months…

The death toll from this year’s hajj has exceeded 1,000, an AFP tally said Thursday, more than half unregistered worshippers who performed the pilgrimage in extreme heat in Saudi Arabia. The new deaths reported Thursday included 58 from Egypt, according to an Arab diplomat who provided a breakdown showing that of 658 Egyptians who died, 630 were unregistered pilgrims. Around 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam which all Muslims with the means must complete at least once. The hajj, whose timing is determined by the lunar Islamic calendar, fell again…

Kylian Mbappe returned to training with the French national team on Wednesday, days after breaking his nose during France’s Euro 2024 opener against Austria. The 25-year-old forward was seen wearing a protective bandage during the session. Initially training alone, his participation in France’s upcoming match against the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday remains uncertain. The French Football Federation (FFF) announced that an update on Mbappe’s fitness would be provided later on Wednesday. Mbappe sustained the injury after colliding with Austrian defender Kevin Danso’s shoulder during an aerial challenge. Following the incident, he was substituted and the break was confirmed at…

Nigeria and the Space Exploration and Research Agency, SERA, from Delaware, USA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to send the first Nigerian to space. Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said at the signing of the MoU in Abuja yesterday, that human spaceflight was a major aspiration of Nigeria. “Human spaceflight is not just a random aspiration of our country but a major objective of the Nigeria Space Policy and Programme which was approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, in 2001. “Reviving and implementing all abandoned national plans is a cardinal point of the…

A baby girl has been mauled to death by her family’s pet dog, police have confirmed. The seven-month-old died after being bitten on the head at a property in Coventry. She was rushed to hospital by ambulance from the scene in Shorncliffe Road on Sunday, but died a short time later. Police said the dog was not classed as a dangerous breed and was removed from the home the same day and humanely destroyed. Police officers and ambulance crews were called at about 15:00 BST and arrived at the scene within minutes, West Midlands Police (WMP) said. “[The] baby girl…

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has condemned what he called the breakdown of law and order at various local government council secretariats in Rivers State and clashes which led to the killing of a Police Inspector and a Vigilante member. Consequently, the IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Olatunji Disu to beef up security across the state and carry out investigations into the killing of the two victims. A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi titled, “Rivers Unrest: IGP Condemns Killing of Officers, Security Threats, Orders Investigations, Heightened…

President Bola Tinubu is expected to lead other federal government officials to next week’s third edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA employers’ summit with the theme “Economic Renaissance: Harnessing Government Reforms and Private Sector Agility.” Among other government officials expected at the summit taking place between June 25 and June 26 in Abuja, are Vice President Kashim Shettima, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, Central Bank Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha among others. This came as the NECA insisted that for the government…

Friends and family searched for missing hajj pilgrims on Wednesday as the death toll at the annual rituals surged past 900. Relatives scoured hospitals and pleaded online for news, fearing the worst after temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 Fahrenheit) in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, on Monday. About 1.8 million people from all over the world, many old and infirm, took part in the days-long, mostly outdoor pilgrimage. It held this year during the oven-like Saudi summer. Speed Painting, like medicine, leaves no room for error — Dr. Ojeabuo, A Speed Painter0:00 / 0:00 An Arab diplomat told AFP that…

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, Peter Obi has celebrated Nigerien Chef, Grace Nwaokobia, for breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest home kitchen cooking marathon. Obi praised Chef Grace’s accomplishment in a statement via his verified X handle on Wednesday. The former governor of Anambra attended the event to celebrate Chef Grace’s achievement. The marathon, which began on Friday, saw Chef Grace cook for an impressive 86 hours, surpassing the previous record of 68 hours and 30 minutes. The cooked meals were largely donated to charity, including The Little Saints Orphanage in Ilupeju. He called…

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abia state chapter, has accused the Abia state government of a lack of due process and transparency in the award of contracts in the state. The party stated this while reacting to the current spat between the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa and the Innoson Motor Company over the non-supply of vehicles allegedly paid for by Gov. Alex Otti for members of the State Assembly. The PDP, in a statement by its Acting State Publicity Secretary, Elder Abraham Amah, noted that the spat between the speaker and the company…