Author: Festus Adeloye

The world’s oldest living person, Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and lived through two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family said Tuesday. “Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain,” her family wrote on her account on social network X. “We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness,” they said. Branyas, who had lived for the last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, had warned…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has confirmed that the Federal Government is paying subsidies on the petrol it imports into the country. Though the NNPCL denied paying fuel subsidies to marketers in the last nine months, it said the government allows it to sell at a price below the landing cost The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Alhaji Umar Ajiya, made the clarifications on Monday in Abuja. Ajiya said the company was only handling petrol importation shortfalls between it and the federation. “In the last eight to nine months, NNPCL has not paid anybody a dime as a subsidy; no…

Organised Labour has urged Nigerians to remain patient with both the Federal and State Governments due to delays in the implementation of the new minimum wage. The workers’ union has also defended the Federal Government, stating that it would be unfair to accuse it of deliberately avoiding the payment of the new minimum wage. The Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, emphasised that the delay should not be seen as intentional. “We have no reason to suspect that there is a deliberate delay. In a real sense, signing the wage is just a small…

An emotional US President Joe Biden passed the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris with a hug on Monday, saying he gave everything for his country in a bittersweet farewell speech at the party’s convention in Chicago. “America, America, I gave my best to you,” the 81-year-old Biden said, quoting a patriotic hymn during a nearly hour-long address that ran through his achievements while urging voters to back his vice president against Donald Trump in November. Harris joined him on stage after the speech and the pair embraced, as the crowd gave Biden a rapturous reception following his stunning decision…

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has approved the appointment of members of the Edo State Civil Service Commission with Lalla Aluyi as Chairman. The governor also approved the appointment of two new Permanent Secretaries in the Edo State Public Service. The appointments were contained in two separate statements signed by the Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa. On the Civil Service Commission, Okungbowa said: “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that, His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki has, in line with his powers under the Constitution of the…

The Federal Government has disclosed that sales of crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries will commence October 1, 2024. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, made the announcement during a meeting with the Implementation Committee on Monday in Abuja. According to a post on the official X (formerly Twitter) page of the finance ministry, the meeting was to review progress on key initiatives. At the meeting, key roles were outlined for stakeholders, including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and…

Congressional Republicans lodged a formal case Monday for the impeachment of US President Joe Biden, using the opening day of the Democratic National Convention to launch a political assault unlikely to gain serious traction. The report from three powerful committees in the Republican-led House of Representatives accuses Biden of corruption linked to his son Hunter’s foreign business affairs. Jim Jordan, head of the Judiciary committee, said the probe showed “conclusively” that Biden had “abused his public office for the private financial benefit of the Biden family and Biden business associates.” However, Republicans have not provided any direct proof that Biden…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would begin distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to newly registered voters on Thursday, ahead of the governorship elections in Edo State. In a statement on its X handle on Monday, the commission shared the list of the centres where the cards would be distributed. It said from August 22 to August 26, registered voters could pick up their cards at any of the 192 Wards in Edo State from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, including weekends. After this period, the collection would move to INEC’s local government offices across…

The Nigerian government is currently making plans to strengthen laws that facilitate the recovery of stolen artefacts into the country. This was revealed by the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede on Monday at the ongoing 6th annual general assembly of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions In Africa (NACIWA). According to him, there are also plans to strengthen regional laws that pertain to asset recovery. The EFCC Chairman in his opening remarks stressed the need for anti-corruption agencies in the region to strengthen their collaboration to reduce corruption. The meeting is themed ‘Implementing the…

A former senator who represented Adamawa North Senatorial District, Ishaku Abbo, has claimed that the monthly earnings of senators are only “big on paper” and not enough for the demands and challenges of their office. In an interview on Arise TV on Sunday, Abbo stated that his salary and allowances while serving as a senator totaled N14.4 million, while today senators earn up to N29 million. He said, “When I was in the Senate, cumulatively, all the allowances were N14.4 million per month. You have a wardrobe allowance, a vehicle allowance, and other allowances put together that were N14.4 million,…