Author: Festus Adeloye

The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is facing a 19-count charge, has written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, pleading to be allowed to face his trial in Kogi. Ex-governor Bello, in the letter he wrote through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, maintained that only Lokoja Division of the high court has the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the allegations that were raised against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. At the resumed proceeding in the matter on Thursday, Bello,…

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has declared readiness for the commencement for another season even though the 2023-24 season was just concluded last weekend. The Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, Davidson Owumi said as much on Sports Salsa anchored by Mitchell Obi, that the fixtures and probable dates for the start of the 2024-25 season are ready but pending ratification of the Club Owners and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) during the league body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) “Not that relaxed because the end of one game is the beginning of another,” Owumi said.“The pressure of events to begin…

Bolivia’s armed forces have arrested the general accused of launching a botched coup on Wednesday. Juan José Zúñiga, who commanded the South American country’s army, was detained in La Paz in front of television cameras on Wednesday night, capping a dramatic few hours in which armed soldiers attempted to storm the national palace. President Luis Arce gave a televised statement to denounce an attempted putsch shortly after an armoured military vehicle rammed into the entrance of the presidential palace and soldiers funnelled in. The troops had just taken the Plaza Murillo, a historic central square, outside. “Today the country is…

The 36 state governors, on the platform of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, met to brainstorm on the national minimum wage as being discussed by tripartite committee on the issue, resolving that they will continue to engage with key stakeholders to reach a mutually agreeable solution. Rising from a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday and into on Thursday, the governors promised to remain dedicated to the process and assure that better wages will result from the ongoing negotiations. The meeting, which took place at the National Secretariat of the NGF in Abuja to discuss the update on the issue and…

Turkey reached the knockout phase at a major tournament for the first time in 16 years after a bad-tempered 2-1 win over a battling 10-man Czech Republic at Euro 2024 on Wednesday. Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey finished second in Group F behind Portugal to progress, as the Czechs were eliminated despite a brave performance on a sweltering night in Hamburg. Georgia also went through as one of the best third-placed teams after a stunning 2-0 win over Portugal in the group’s other final game, eliminating Hungary. Last-16 fixtures at Euro 2024 after the completion of the group stage on Wednesday (kick-offs…

The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, has said that the upcoming Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit will afford the people an opportunity to discuss President Bola Tinubu’s plans for the region. He said the event scheduled for July 10 would help to build synergy for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region. He said the stakeholders’ engagement was one of the cardinal points in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. He said: “The importance of stakeholder engagement is to ensure that projects and activities of government are well understood by the people…

The 36 state governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), are arriving for a marathon meeting to brainstorm on the National Minimum Wage, as being discussed at the moment by Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage. The governors are meeting at the National Secretariat of the NGF in Abuja to discuss the update on the issue and to be on the same page with one another. Other issues that form the agenda at the meeting are local government autonomy as well as NC-CARES disbursement to the States. Recall that the federal government last month instituted a…

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to creating a conducive environment for journalists and the media profession in the country. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at a book presentation titled “Writing for Media and Monetising it” by Azu Ishiekwene. “As we celebrate this milestone, it is also important to reaffirm the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to a free and responsible journalism. “We understand that a society can only flourish when its media organs are free to report the truth without fear of retribution and to…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, to International status. The approval follows the request of Governor Seyi Makinde to the federal government in his bid to change the status of the Ibadan facility to global status. Governor Makinde disclosed this on Wednesday, June 26, while receiving the Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian AirForce (NAF), Air Marshall Hassan Baba Abubakar, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. Makinde assured that work will commence on the project as soon as he gets all the necessary and…

The Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee has given the green light to inaugurate new National Campaign Councils for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. The inauguration is set to take place on Thursday, July 27, with plans to ensure victory in the upcoming elections. This is disclosed in a statement made available to the press and signed by National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba to the party on Wednesday. The statement reads, “PDP to inaugurate Edo, Ondo states governorship election National Campaign Councils tomorrow, June 27, 2024 “The National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, the…