Author: Soffiyyah Olamide

By Pelumi Olajengbesi In the wake of the unexpected and tragic loss of Herbert Wigwe, the esteemed former leader of Access Bank, our hearts weigh heavy as we reflect on the profound impact of this extraordinary individual. Tuning into the Night of Tribute organized in his honor, the heartfelt testimonials from various speakers shed light on Herbert Wigwe’s remarkable journey and his unwavering commitment to humanity. Each narrative painted a vivid portrait of a man whose life was dedicated to leaving a positive imprint on everyone he encountered, regardless of his esteemed corporate stature. Beyond his role in the corporate…

Abbey Mortgage Bank, a leading institution in the mortgage industry, proudly commemorates its 32nd anniversary. Over the past three decades, Abbey Mortgage Bank has evolved into a beacon of excellence, driving positive change and making a lasting impact on individuals and communities alike. Since its establishment in 1992, Abbey Mortgage Bank has undergone remarkable transformations, emerging as a pioneer in the mortgage sector. Beyond providing traditional mortgage services, the bank has expanded into retail banking, broadening its scope to better serve its customers’ needs. “Through dedication and innovation, our workforce has been the driving force behind Abbey Mortgage Bank’s transformative…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike As the Muslim Ummah begins the annual Ramadan fast, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON), Jalal Arabi, has called Muslims not to give up as a result of the hardship currently being experience across the country. Arabi called on them to show high level, of perseverance and faith in the face of challenges in the country. Recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, had earlier declared Monday, 11 March, 2024, as the first day of Ramadan, noting that the declaration was based on the sighting of the moon in almost every part of…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Federal Government has disclosed that in the last five years, the country lost about 15,000 to 16,000 doctors to the Japa syndrome while about 17,000 had been transferred. It also disclosed that at least 55,000 licensed doctors are in the country to attend to the growing population of patients following the exodus of health professionals to hospitals and health facilities abroad. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, made this disclosure on Sunday, 10 March, 2024 while featuring as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Pate, who said the brain drain…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Famous wrestler, John Cena caused stir at the 2024 Oscars Award ceremony at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles in the United states of America on the night of Sunday, 10 March, 2024. The WWE star went nude to present the award for Best Costume Design. ‘Poor Things’ defeated ‘Barbie’, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, ‘Napoleon’, and ‘Oppenheimer’ to snag the award. Meanwhile, Billie Eilish has now become the youngest 2x Oscar winner after her song, ‘What Was I Made For’ from ‘Barbie’ won the Best Original Song at the 96th Annual Academy Awards.…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Oyo State Government on Monday, 11 March, 2024, announced the ban on the use of styrofoam for food services, storage, and other related purposes. Recall that the state House of Assembly had, on Thursday, 8 February, 2024, call on the state government to ban the use of styrofoam for food purposes in the state. It, therefore, inaugurated the Food Safety Compliance Enforcement Task Force to oversee the enforcement of food safety rules and regulations in the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, made this announcement during the Food Safety Stakeholders Forum, and the inauguration of the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Former President Muhammadu Buhari has showered praises on President Bola Tinubu despite the current economic hardship in the country, saying that the president has done well since assuming office on May 29, 2023. Buhari stated this while receiving the Comptroller-General and members of the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service in Daura, Katsina State. The former President said there isn’t much anybody can do to help Nigeria because the country is “so complex”. “I thank you very much for coming. I very much appreciate it. I think Tinubu has done very well. Nigeria is so complex. Really,…

A vigilant security officer has apprehended a 25-year-old man identified as Emmanuel Ikoka, who was found in possession of numerous electrical wires he had allegedly removed from a building undergoing renovation at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja. This was made known by the Lagos State Command Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on his X handle on Sunday, 10 March, 2024. He wrote: “25-year-old Emmanuel Ikoka was apprehended by a vigilant security officer as he was emerging from a building under renovation in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. He was caught with lots of…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities(SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union(NASU), on Monday, 11 March, 2024, declared a seven-day warning strike, just as it also gave reason for their action. According to the unions, the declaration was made to demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries of their members by the Federal Government after the 2022 nationwide strike. This followed the resolution of the joint action committee of the two unions after a meeting held in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Saturday and Sunday. Details later…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Ogun State Government has ordered immediately closure of a steel company in Ogijo area of Sagamu Local Government Area of the state after seven people were severely injured on the evening of Sunday, 10 March, 2024 in a gas explosion. It was gathered that the entire line of production of the company was affected by the explosion. The cause of the ugly incident is yet to be determined as of the time of filing this report. However, the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, vowed to get to the root-cause of the accident. Oresanya, who paid…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Three persons identified as as Rejoice Nton Anoka, 10, and a student, Mariam Akanya Mfono, 20 and a visitor were on Sunday, 10 March, 2024 killed in a communal clash in Nnaorokpa, Nta Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State.  According to the residents the clash between Nnaorokpa in Nta Ikom LGA and Ofunokpan in Obubra LGA had persisted for 30 years and had claimed many lives. They added that the violent conflict had continued despite the state government’s intervention. Police spokesperson in the state, Irene Ugbo, confirmed the latest development saying that investigation has commenced and police…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Nigerian military, the Department of State Services(DSS), Nigeria Police Force(NPF) as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) have destroyed at least 50 camps of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) including their headquarters. The joint security forces also killed 20 IPOB fighters in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State in a joint operation that was conducted on 7 March, 2024 which is the second operation conducted in the same local government since the beginning of the month and the third in the state. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, a major…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike This is certainly a good news to the students of Kwara State origin as the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has approved the disbursement of the 2023/2024 Bursary and 2022/2023 Scholarship Award to students in tertiary institutions owned by state and federal governments. The state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mary Arinde, made this disclosure in a statement posted on the state’s official X handle on Sunday, 10 March, 2024. According to the statement, only indigenes of Kwara State who are final-year students attending government-owned, state, and federal institutions are eligible to apply. The statement read, “His Excellency, the Executive…

Damilola Ogunbiyi is the Chief Executive Officer and Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General (UN SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of U.N.-Energy. She is also the recipient of the Energy Institute President’s Award for 2023, opens new tab and has been recognized as a trailblazer in her field by numerous publications and globally respected lists. With Mrs Ogunbiyi at the helm, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over 200 partners, supported over 90 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than $1.3 trillion in energy finance. This has been achieved through programs such as…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In an effort of bolstering the fight against one of the most deadly infectious diseases globally, the world’s biggest vaccine maker ,Serum Institute of India (SII), has announced that it  will start rolling out a cheap new malaria inoculation in Africa in May, The mosquito-borne malady kills more than 600,000 people a year, 95 per cent of them in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is more fatal among the young, and the annual toll of malaria deaths includes nearly half a million African children aged under five. The Serum Institute of India (SII) this year plans…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The battle of supremacy between Jurgen Klopp, Coach of English Premier League giants, Liverpool and his counterpart in Manchester City,  Pep Guardiola, which was regarded as the  final last dance on Sunday, 10 March, 2024 at the iconic stadium of Anfield, home turf of the English most successful club in history,  ended in stalemate, 1-1 apiece. The tie, tagged clash of the titans, is special in the hearts of the two coaches who have shaped the face of English football in the last decade. English Premier League title is on the line for two coaches who have…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Niger State Government has announced that it has renamed the remodelled Minna Airport as Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hajiya Binta Manmman made this disclosure at a press briefing in Minna on the President’s visit to the state for the Commissioning of some projects. On why the renaming of the remodelled airport after the President, the Commissioner said the decision was due to the support Niger State is receiving from the Federal Government. Manmman added that necessary arrangements have been concluded to ensure a hitch-free visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A middle-aged man simply identified as Onuora, who has the habit of laying ambush around schools in Onitsha, Anambra State waiting for any girl to rape has been arrested for allegedly raping a schoolgirl. The suspect presently cooling-off at the Inland Town Police Division in Onitsha, was arrested at the Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha by security operatives, who have been trailing him. Following the arrest of the suspect, the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has demanded the remand of the suspect. The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chumthe -Udeh, made this disclosure through a statement issued on Sunday,…

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun said the Anchor Borrowers Scheme in the state has nurtured over 40,000 agripreneurs. The Governor, who spoke in Abeokuta on Saturday, 9 March, 2024, during the 37th Lisabi Day celebration, reiterated his administration’s dedication to supporting young farmers and investors in land clearing, preparation, and mechanization for agriculture. Represented by his Deputy, Engr. (Mrs.) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Prince Abiodun emphasized that the theme of the celebration, ‘Encouraging Youth Entrepreneurship in Agric Business: Panacea for Solving Youth Unemployment in Egbaland,’ align with his commitment to empower youths for agricultural growth. Prince Abiodun called for intensified efforts…

About 60,000 students of Ogun State origin in all tertiary institutions of learning in the country would benefit from the ongoing N50,000 palliative of the state government. Tagged Educational Cash Award For Student Help (OgunEduCASH), it is an intervention programme for learners in all public primary and secondary schools, as well as public and private tertiary institutions across Nigeria, to cushion the effects of the current economic challenges on learners and their parents. It was announced in February by Governor Dapo Abiodun as part of the state’s palliative measures. Each student of Ogun State origin is entitled to N50,000 cash…