Author: Khadijah Olowode

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved the appointment of Associate Professor Bello Alhaji Ibrahim as Executive Chairman of Borno State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS). The appointment was announced via a statement issued on Thursday, 6 July, 2023, by the Governor’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau. Until today’s appointment, Bello was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Borno Renaissance Micro Finance Bank, a position he held from December 2019. 55-year old associate professor, Bello, who hails from Maiduguri, holds PhD, MSc and Bachelors Degree all in Economics from the University of Maiduguri, Gusau said. Associate Professor Bello is a consummate teacher,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Presidency, on Thursday, 6 July, 2023, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list is not ready at least for now. The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, confirmed this during a briefing with newsmen at the State House in Abuja. Alake urged Nigerians to disregard the rumours surrounding the awaited ministerial list. “About the ministerial list, there is no iota of truth in all of those things,” Alake said. “When the President is good and ready, you will be the first to know about his intentions.” “I can tell…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Chelsea Football Club of England have announced the exit of Cesar Azpilicueta, a club legend, after 11-year stay at the London based club, saying the defender has returned home to join Atletico Madrid, thegazellenews.com reports Azpilicueta made 508 appearances for the Blues and won nine trophies, including the Premier League, UEFA Champions’ League, Europa League, Club World Cup, FA Cup and League Cup. “Cesar leaves an everlasting mark at Chelsea as a warrior, as a champion, and as a loyal Chelsea legend,” said the club’s co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in a statement issued on Thursday, 6…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohamed Buba Marwa, has promoted 3, 248 officers and decorated three Deputy Commanders General of Narcotics (DCGN) and four Assistant Commanders General of Narcotics (ACGN). Speaking at the event, where 12 state commands and 148 personnel were given awards and commendations for their outstanding performances in the first half of the year, Marwa said the exercise was an indication that the agency has entrenched the culture of excellence. NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made this disclosure in a statement issued…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square has adjourned the terrorism trial of the “Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate’’, Frederick Nwajagu, till July 25. Justice Yetunde Adesanya on Wednesday, 5 July, 2023, fixed the date after listening to the submissions of parties at the proceedings today. The Lagos State’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, told the court that he had additional witnesses he would like to call. He also told the court that he had served some relevant documents on the defence. Counsel to the defendant, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Emeka Obiagu…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Workers in Ondo State have called on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who has been battling ill-health for a while, to ensure that he is fully fit before resuming to the office to attend to official duties, thegazellenews.com reports. The workers represented by the state Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Oladele Victor Amoko, the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Olapade Ademola and the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Clement Fatuase, in a statement issued on Thursday, 6 July, 2023 emphasised that the full recovery of the Governor is of utmost priority. Recall that Akeredolu, who left for a 21 day medical leave…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Bola Tinubu has approved the plans for the 2023 national census to be sustained, just as he is expected to fix a new date for the national population and housing census. Recall that the initial date set for its conduct was postponed indefinitely in April this year. The Chairman of the National Population Commission(NPC), Nasir Kwarra, made this disclosure to State House Correspondents after his delegation gave the President a full brief at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, 6 June, 2023. Kwarra, who explained that the visit to the President afforded the Commission…

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called for more partnership between the Government, private sector and non-governmental organisations in order to beat down youth unemployment in the country. The Governor said the State yearly committed billions to Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to support startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operated by young entrepreneurs, but said the intervention was not enough to cater for the growing demand. Sanwo-Olu called for more investment funding opportunities for the youth when he received a delegation from Prince’s Trust International – a global youth charity – in a courtesy visit on Wednesday…

Pregnant Woman Dies As Nasarawa Doctors’ Strike Persists By Abimbola Ogunnaike Following a five-day warning strike embarked upon by the resident doctors of the Adamawa state government-owned Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Lafia, a middle-aged woman lost her life on Wednesday, 5 July 2023 as no doctor was around to attend to her, Daily Trust reports. The pregnant woman, whose identity is unknown as at the time of filing this report when the reporter of the news medium visited Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, Lafia (DASH), around 3:30pm on Wednesday, 5 July, 2023, was said to have been booked for a caesarean section…

Tricyclists under the umbrella of the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) have disclosed that they drove all the way from Lagos, a distance of 757 kilometres, to arrive in Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power to show solidarity and honour for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The Chairman of TOAN, Ajah branch, Babatunde Olisah, who stated this during an interview with Daily Trust, said the visit was to mark the president’s 38 days in office and also seek his support for Nigerian youths and tricycle riders in particular. “I and my two colleagues Akintade Temitope and Ahmed Bolaji bought these…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Serie A giants, Inter Milan have rejected Manchester United’s second bid for Andre Onana, saying the offer was ‘not at the level we expected’. Manchester United want to sign Onana this summer as replacement for David de Gea who is expected to leave Old Trafford as a free agent after his contract expired on June 30. They have put in a bid of £34.4m, with add-ons which could see the deal reach £38.5m, but the Serie A giants rejected it. The Red Devils returned with an offer of £39m. However, Inter want closer to £45m for their…

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that his administration will make available, about 250 semi-detached and fully detached duplex houses at the President Muhammad Buhari (PMB) Estate before the end of the year. Governor Abiodun, who made this known during an inspection of the first phase of the 60 mixed development scheme at Kobape, Abeokuta, on Thursday, 6 July, 2023, said that the project when completed would have a recreation park, shopping center, and security post among other facilities. “I am sure that between now and the end of this year, we will have nothing less than 200…

Fast pace of programmes at the 26th Lagos State University (LASU) convocation, held last month, could not permit Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to have personal conversation with Miss. Yusuf Aminat Imoitesemeh — the institution’s best student of all time. Two weeks later, the Governor hosted the valedictorian at the State House, Marina. Aminat came in the company of her parents, Mr. Ibrahim Yusuf and Hajia Halimah. In the Governor’s cozy living room on Thursday, 6;July, 2023, the 23-year-old graduate of Law, who finished with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 on a scale of 5.0, had a relaxed chat…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that a total of 798 confirmed diphtheria cases with 80 deaths have been recorded across eight states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) since the beginning of this year, thegazellenews.com reports. NCDC Director General, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, confirmed this in a state issued on Thursday, 6 July, 2023, NCDC, saying that the cases were recorded across 33 Local Government Areas of the affected states. According to Adetifa, most of the cases were recorded in Kano, Lagos, Yobe, Katsina, Cross River, Kaduna, and Osun. “The majority (71.7%) of the…

There was a serious panic on Thursday, 6 July, 2023, when a middle aged man collapsed during Asr (late afternoon) prayer, reports thegazellenews.com. The man collapsed during the last rakkah as he could not rise up from the Rukuu (bend down) position. Those at the prayers rallied round him and tried albeit in vain to revive him for some minutes before he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Thegazellenews.com however learnt later that the man was revived at the hospital and doctors advised he be given food to eat This medium’s investigation revealed that, the man, an alleged ulcer patient, was…

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has described the death of the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, Oke-Agbara, Asi Bodija, Prophet Michael Ojo Olowere, popularly called Baba Olowere, as a huge loss to Christendom and the entire Oyo State. The Governor, in a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, expressed his condolences to the leadership of the CAC Worldwide, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oyo State branch and the immediate family of Baba Olowere. Makinde described Baba Olowere as a worthy father of faith and one of God’s Generals, who have given their all…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Ligue1 giants, Paris Saint Germain(PSG) have appointed Luis Enrique as its new club coach on a two –year deal on Wednesday, 5 July, 2023. The 53-year-old former Barcelona coach, who had been a free agent since being sacked by Spain last December, replaces Christophe Galtier after his departure was confirmed earlier in the day. Luis Enrique was unveiled at a press conference alongside the Qatar-backed club’s president Nasser al-Khelaifi at their new training complex in Poissy, north-west of the French capital. “I’m delighted to be joining Paris in order to enjoy a new experience,” Luis Enrique…

Olowu of Kuta, HRM Oba Hammeed Adekunle Makama Oyelude CON, Tegbosun III, has congratulated the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Taoreed Lagbaja for the successful hosting of this year edition of Army Day Celebration NADCEL 2023, the first since he assumed office as COAS. The monarch in a statement issued by his media office on Thursday, 6 July, 2023 in Kuta, said Gen Lagbaja has acquainted himself credibly going by the support he is receiving from both serving and retired military officers. According to Olowu, the Ilobu, Osun born Army General needs the support of all and sundry to succeed…

An Assistant Director in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr. Yildiyel Musa Takat; and an Administration Officer at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Mr. Nankpat Dukbong have been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over allegations of fraud, employment scam and conspiracy. The duo were brought before Honourable Justice O. A. Musa of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 7, sitting in Jabi, Abuja, via a Charge No: CR/151/2022. In a 6-count charge, ICPC accused the defendants of conspiracy, abuse of office and defrauding unsuspecting job…

President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday, 5 July, 2023 tendered a copy of the Labour Party (LP) membership register for Anambra State in proof of their claim that Peter Obi is not a registered member of the party. Tinubu and Shettima had argued, in their response to the petition by Obi and the LP, that, not being a member of the party as at the time of the last presidential election, Obi was not qualified to have contested the last election on the platform of the LP. Their lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) tendered the document…