Author: Khadijah Olowode

African countries, including Nigeria, have been advised to arrest the alarming rate of corruption and Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) in order to develop and meet the Sustainable Development Goal targets. The advice was given by the Head of Secretariat of the African Union High Level Panel on IFFs and the Working Group on Common Africa Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR), Mrs. Souad Aden-Osman, during the opening ceremony of the Conference on addressing IFFs and Asset Recovery held at the Radisson Hotel in Dakar, Senegal. The IFFs and Asset Recovery conference is holding on the margins of the 2023 Global Conference…

“The election of Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON and Rt. Honourable Tajudeen Abbas as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 10th National Assembly is a good development. I heartily congratulate them and also rejoice with the new Deputy Senate President Jibril Barau and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for their well-deserved victories. Being elected by their peers as presiding officers and assuming the leadership of the National Assembly is a great honour that comes with huge responsibility. I trust that you will justify the confidence reposed in you by your…

Key players during the 1993 Presidential Election, who formed members of panelists at the 2023 Democracy Day celebration pressed for shift of Nigeria’s presidential inauguration to June 12. The 2023 Democracy Day celebration organized by Tinubu Support Group (TSG), was tagged ‘RE-ENACTING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JUNE 12’ IN NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIC JOURNEY, held at Unity Fountain, Abuja on Monday, 12 June, 2023. Sen. Zwingina Jonathan who was the Director General of the Campaign Organization of Abiola/Kingibe 1993 Presidential Campaign and Sen. Abe Magnus were among others who made the plea. The Discourse called on President Bola Tinubu to make June 12…

Dear ‘Mr. Governor’ Sir. I have resorted to the open space because it appears that Mr. Governor is not interested in a meeting with the indigenes of Lagos (especially the people of Ikorodu) assessed in the fact that there has been no response to the letters written to the Governor by the Conference of Leaders of Ikorodu Division and Ikorodu People’s Forum in 2021; and a recent one by the latter organisation seeking meeting, all of which I am privy to. Mr. Governor, your governance of this state leaves much to be desired. In fact, from the above fact, you…

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has said that the recent discovery of clandestine laboratories for the production of methamphetamine and the seizures of captagon, fentanyl, and other deadly substances in Nigeria further underscores the growing threat of illicit drugs to public health and national security, insisting that global collaboration of anti-narcotics agency important to winning war on drug trafficking. Marwa, said this in Lagos on Monday, 12 June, 2023, in his opening remarks at the Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) twinning programme being organized by the International…

The Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Audi has appealed to Nigerians to join in the fight against insecurity in order to sustain the nation’s democratic ideals. He made the appeal in a statement he gave while briefing officers and men at the Corps’ National Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day. Audi said that it was imperative for citizens to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration by embracing his policies and programmes for a better Nigeria. He stated that security agencies require the cooperation and support of citizens to…

The United Nations has called for the immediate address of the grave global harm caused by the proliferation of hate and lies in the digital space. The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres made the call at the launch of his report into information integrity on digital platforms. The UN chief stressed that alarm over the potential threat posed by the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence must not obscure the damage already being done by digital technologies that enable the spread of online hate speech, mis- and disinformation. He however noted that digital platforms have brought many benefits, supporting communities…

The African Union (AU) High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (AU HLP on IFF) and the Working Group on the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR), composed of the African Union, the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), Forum Civil, the Pan-African Lawyers Union (PALU) and TrustAfrica, are holding a conference on the theme, “Addressing Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in the Extractive Industry”, on the margins of the 2023 Global Conference of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) from 13 to 14 June 2023 in Dakar, Senegal; the first ever EITI global conference to be held in…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Unknown gunmen have kidnapped the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Reverend Father Jeremiah Yakubu. The Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Reverend Father Emmanuel Okolo confirmed the development in a statement issued on Monday, 12 June, 2023 According to Okolo, Father Yakubu was whisked from the parish rectory in Kauru LGA at about 11pm on Sunday night, 11 June, 2023, when the gunmen invaded the area. While calling for intense prayer for the quick and safe release of the priest, the Chancellor appealed to the…

By Laolu Akande First let me say how liberating to be back to the life of a journalist. I will say more on this very soon. For now I am burdened as a citizen on the problem of Fake news. Having served 8 years as a public servant working as a political appointee, I have witnessed the inherent damages of fake news. As you can imagine I have been a serial victim myself, most time on behalf of my principal. Here are 4 reasons citizens and in our case, Nigerians should reject fake news. *1. Fake news worsens the cynicism…

The people of Kogi State resident in Kano trooped out, Sunday, 11 June, 2023, to receive the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Alh. Usman Ododo. At a consultation meeting at Bristol Palace Hotel, Kano, representatives of the various ethnic groups assured the candidate of their unalloyed support to ensure continuity of the Yahaya Bello legacy. Dr H. O. Amodu who spoke on behalf of the Okun Community in Kano said the people of Kogi State who reside in Kano are solidly behind him in order to ensure that the development strides of the administration in the state is not…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Bola Tinubu in his maiden Democracy Day address to the nation on Monday, 12 June, 2023, has admitted that the recent removal of fuel subsidy has imposed hardship on the general public. Tinubu said though he feels the pain on the masses, there is a need for them to sacrifice more for the betterment of the entire nation. According to the President, the temporal discomfort occasioned by the subsidy removal was necessary to save the country from going under. “I feel your pain. This is one decision we must bear to save our country from going…

TEXT OF DEMOCRACY DAY NATIONAL BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU ON JUNE 12, 2023. Fellow Nigerians, 2. It is exactly three decades today that Nigerians went to the polls to exercise their inalienable right to elect a President of their choice to lead the transition from military dictatorship to a representative government of the people. 3. The abortion, by military fiat, of the decisive victory of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the June 12, 1993, presidential election, up to that time, the fairest and freest election in the country’s political evolution,…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has promised to intervene urgently to restore the erosion-damaged Akinima-Joinkarama Road linking several communities in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. Speaking at the erosion site, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, sympathized with the people of Akinima and Joinkarama communities, as well as commuters using the road, for the pains they were going through. Ogbuku, who was accompanied by the Executive Director Projects, Mr. Charles Ogunmola and other Directors of the Commission, assured that remediation work at the erosion site would commence immediately. The NDDC boss observed that the damage on the…

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has urged Nigerians to give maximum support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his new administration. In his Democracy Day message, Lawan said he had no doubt that this new government would take Nigeria to greater heights and urged the people to accord it their utmost cooperation and support. The Senate President also urged the 10th National Assembly to be inaugurated on Tuesday to consider it worthwhile to relate harmoniously with the executive arm of government for the benefit of Nigerians. The full text reads: “I heartily felicitate Nigerians on this occasion of…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Novak Djokovic created history on Sunday, 11 June, 2023 when he captured a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title with a third French Open triumph, reinforcing his case to be crowned the greatest player of all time. The 36-year-old Serb brushed off an early wobble to defeat Casper Ruud of Norway 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-5 and snap the tie of 22 Slams he shared with career-long rival Rafael Nadal. “It’s an incredible feeling to win 23. I’m beyond grateful and blessed to be standing here with so many incredible achievements,” said Djokovic as Nadal immediately described his rival’s…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Immediate-past Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has disclosed that not a dime was paid for chattering the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft that was used for the unveiling of Nigeria Air, Daily Trust reports. Recall that it was reported how the Federal Government flew in a Boeing 737-800 series aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airlines into Abuja for the unveiling of Nigeria Air. Shortly after the aircraft landed, Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation, expressed delight that after “a very long, tedious, daunting and difficult path”, the project had taken off. However, the minister was silent on many details about the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In other to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has approved the deployment of government buses to support the movement of students and workers in public tertiary institutions within Ilorin, the capital city, and its environs. The bus palliative for the students, covering the metropolis, is the second phase in the measures by the State Government to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government. Recall that the state government had earlier reduced workdays for civil servants from five to three weekdays, while bureaucrats worked out other…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) said it is fully committed to its resistance to same-sex marriage. The Bishop Lafia Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Godwin Robinson, made the declaration on Saturday, 10 June, 2023 while delivering the Bishop’s Charge at the ongoing 3rd Session of the 8th Synod of the Diocese. The Synod is being hosted by Mt. Zion Anglican Church Mararaba in Nasarawa State. Robinson, who enlightened the congregation on global matters, briefed the church on the outcome of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), held at Kigali in Rwanda from April…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A Nigerian Airforce female Master Warrant Officer George, serving at 651 Base Services Group, was found dead on Sunday, 11 June, 2023, Daily Post reports A sources revealed that the Air Force personnel was found unresponsive at her residence at Block T5 Flat 8 in Sam Ethnan Air Force Base Ikeja, Lagos, after she hanged herself inside her room at about 1400hrs on 10 June 2023. It was said that she was pronounced dead by three Air Provosts who came with another team of personnel to evacuate the body to the 661 Nigerian Air Force Hospital. The…