Author: Festus Adeloye

The House of Representatives has warned the former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, to desist from what it called his needless criticism of the National Assembly, and instead speak to issues of national importance. The House warning came on the heels of a statement issued by Lukman on Tuesday, July 2, in which he branded the 10th Assembly as a failure. Lukman in the statement said, “Partly because of the faint or almost complete absence of courageous voices in the National Assembly, the President and the members of the executive body of government are…

The Senate on Wednesday, July 3, blamed the recent suicide bombings in Gwoza town in Borno state on failure of intelligence on the part of security forces. Senate president, Godswill Akpabio disclosed this in his contribution to the debate on a motion on the incident sponsored by the chief whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, during plenary. Ndume in his lead debate identified Mandara Mountains, Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region as the remaining terrorists’ havens. The Senate in its resolutions urged the Federal Government to direct the military to re-think its conventional strategies in fighting insurgency and…

UEFA said Wednesday it had opened a probe into Turkey defender Merih Demiral for celebrating a goal in the team’s 2-1 win against Austria at Euro 2024 with an allegedly ultra-nationalist salute. The tournament organiser said in a statement it was investigating the player for “inappropriate behaviour” during Tuesday’s knockout game in Leipzig. The gesture, which Demiral made to the crowd after scoring his second goal of the game, is associated with Turkish ultra-nationalist group Grey Wolves. Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Wednesday condemned the Turkish player’s goal celebration. “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that the issue of releasing Nnamdi Kanu was not part of his discussion with the South East governors in Enugu State, on Tuesday. The former President and Chief Emeka Anyaoku met with the governors on their own invitation to discuss regional development issues, and the purported plan release of Kanu by the federal government was not part of it. A release by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Wednesday, stated that the regional development issues include that of security and infrastructure. Others were economic and cooperative/collaboration, which was meant to complement the…

Popular American television host, Nick Cannon, has disclosed the reason for the $10-million insurance policy on his testicles. The father of 12 explained that he insured his testicles because they are his “most valuable assets.” In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cannon said he took the decision because other celebrities, especially athletes, were also insuring valuable body parts like legs. “I had to insure my most valuable assets,” he said. “Because you hear about like all these different celebrities insuring their legs … so I was like, ‘Hey, well, I got to insure my most valuable body part.” According to…

Former Conservative British prime minister Boris Johnson has lent his support to the incumbent prime minister, Rishi Sunak, on the campaign trail. This is coming as pollsters forecast their party could “win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election.” At a rally on Tuesday, Sunak hailed the “Conservative family united” after an appearance by his predecessor Mr Johnson and claimed just 130,000 voters could help stem his party’s predicted losses. He made his speech after Survation pollsters found Labour is on course to win more seats than it did in 1997. But Labour leader Keir…

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar said Nigeria is working to deepen bilateral relations with the U.S. in accordance with Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust under President Bola Tinubu. Tuggar stated this at the 248th U.S. independence anniversary dinner organised by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday. The minister said deepening Nigeria-U.S. ties would further cement their many years of cooperation and friendship. He noted that the signing of the Nigeria-U.S. Binational Cooperation is one of the major foreign policy objectives of the Tinubu administration. Tuggar, represented by Amb. Janet Olisa, Director of Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said…

Special Adviser to Nigerian President on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, has announced the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, as the best Agency of Government in exemplary teamwork, quality service delivery and consistency. Oduwole also announced the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as the overall Best performing Ministry in the country. She said that 33 operational activities of NIMASA were subjected to thorough scrutiny alongside those of 36 other Agencies of the Federal Government. In her words, “We want to commend NIMASA for emerging as the best Nigeria’s Agency of Government…

Barring last minute’s change, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, may shut down universities tomorrow over the non-payment of four months withheld salaries by the government. Recall that a fortnight ago, the Joint Action Committee, JAC, comprising SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, had issued a two week ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay its members the four months withheld salaries. Of the four university-based unions that embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022, the Federal Government has paid the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, leaving behind the three other…

The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, to immediately halt the unfair business practices perpetrated against Air Peace, Dangote and other businesses by certain foreign businesses operating in Nigeria. It also mandated the committees on aviation, commerce, and petroleum (upstream and downstream) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the predatory pricing practices and unethical business competitive behaviours by foreign airlines and IOCs. The resolutions were sequel to a motion moved on the floor of the House by Babajimi Benson at plenary in Abuja. Moving the motion, Benson noted that Nigerian businesses operate in the…