Author: Soffiyyah Olamide

By Abimbola Oguunaike Famous Nigerian Singer, Tiwa Savage, has finally opened up about her challenges with declining eyesight which she has been battling for over the past three years. Savage, in a series of Instagram posts on Thursday ,15 February, 2024 admitted that reading has become increasingly difficult due to blurry vision. According to the Afro beats singer, after consulting with an optician in London, she got to know that her long-range vision is somewhat acceptable, but her short-range vision is problematic. She disclosed further that she obtained a pair of recommended glasses to deal with the problem. “Guys the…

President Bola Tinubu has been appointed as the African Union (AU) Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership against the backdrop of his ambitious, innovative, and people-focused efforts in the sector. “In recognition of President Tinubu’s commitment to train 120,000 frontline health workers nationwide within 16 months and to double the number of primary health facilities in communities across all local government areas of the federation from 8,800 to over 17,000 over the next three years; his doubling of health personnel enrollment capacity from accredited nursing and midwifery institutions to accommodate the new demand created by…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike An Abeokuta High Court presided by Justice O.O Stanley has sentenced a 24-year-old man, Monday Abbah, to death by hanging for killing his colleague, Mr Rapheal Osugbe. Abbah, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, was convicted on a one-count charge of murder. Delivering her judgment on Friday, 16 February, 2024, Stanley found Abbah culpable of the charge of murder, saying that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. She convicted Abbah, saying that the evidence presented by the prosecution was tenable and, therefore, sentenced Abbah to death by hanging. “I hereby sentence you Monday Abbah…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate upgrade of key health infrastructure and equipment across all six geo-political zones in line with his administration’s vision of overhauling the health and social welfare sector for enhanced service delivery to all Nigerians. This was revealed on Friday, 16 February, 2024 via a press statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale. “Upgrading health infrastructure and equipment is a top priority of President Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. To advance this landmark effort, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has re-stated its commitment to complete all its on-going development projects, especially those with key impact potentials, in the Niger Delta region. Speaking during an inspection of the 21-kilometre Okossi-Mfokpo Eyokan Ubodung-Etebi Road and bridges, in Okossi, Urue-Offong/Oruko Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the NDDC Executive Director Projects, Sir Victor Antai, said the Commission would fulfill the requirements stated in the performance bond it signed recently with the Ministry of Niger Delta Development. The Executive Director, who was accompanied by other NDDC Directors and engineers, said the road traversed three Local Government…

By Wole Olujobi “Forget not in your speed, Antonius, to touch Calpurnia, for our elders say the barren touched in this holy chase, shake off their sterile curse,” decreed Roman General and tribune, Julius Caesar, who had positioned his barren wife Calpurnia to stand on Mark Anthony’s way as the annual Roman fertility ritual got underway on the Feast of the Lupercalia. Even though a colossus that betrode the entire world, the spiritual and cultural significance of the Lupercalia in the lives of Romans was not lost on this totalitarian Roman Army General, as Caesar stayed glued to seize the…

By Wole Olujobi When he stormed the Nigerian music scene in 1973/1974, not a few were jolted that a new master guitarist in the Yoruba juju music genre had emerged to challenge King Sunny Ade’s dominance in the mastery of guitar; the plugged stringed musical instrument that added taste and rhythm to the African heavy percussions that hallmarked the beauty of the emerging music stars of that epoch. The early 70s, when Emperor Akorede Akanni Pick Peters emerged on the music scene, was the period that Commander Ebenezer Obey and King Sunday were simply the icons in Yoruba music world,…

The Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hammed Ademola Benco, has commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for being sensitive and responsive to the plight of workers in the state. Benco spoke at the presentation of two brand new 18-seater buses to the state NLC and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. The NLC Chairman, who spoke on behalf of the two unions, said that the governor is a man who is bound by his words and genuinely committed to the plight of workers. Benco said: “We…

Member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, James Abiodun Faleke has empowered another set of his constituents again, reports thegazellenews.com This is coming weeks after the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance ignited Lagos with multi-billion Naira empowerment programmes in which lots of mini-buses, tricycles, hair dryers, refrigerators and other vocational empowerment items were distributed to residents of his Constituency. The latest in his empowerment programmes is the training of youths in Tilapia Fingerlings production which took place in Lagos between Wednesday, 14 February and Thursday, 15 February, 2024. Over 105 youths drawn from…

The Minister for Niger Delta Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, has urged the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to intensify its engagement with stakeholders in its efforts to develop the Niger Delta region. In a keynote address at the Two-Day Board and Management Retreat of the Niger Delta Development Commission, at the Four Point by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Momoh stated that collaboration and partnership were paramount for the success of the NDDC and the ministry.The retreat, which attracted members of the National Assembly, past chairmen and managing directors of the NDDC directors from both the Ministry of Niger Delta…

By Niyi Akinsiju There has been a growing concern over the dwindling roles of State Governors in the economic affairs of the country since the nation’s return to democracy in 1999. Many of them are on record to have shown limited knowledge of the concept of federalism. It appears that this confounding gubernatorial disposition to federalism is consequent upon an outright misunderstanding of the bolts and nuts undergirding the power relationships between the States and the Federal Government in a federal system or, perhaps, it may be that the Nigerian State Governors have, overtime, decidedly abandoned their roles as enshrined…

The Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Rivers Marine Command, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Bashir Mohammed Lawal has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on its rising effectiveness in tackling the menace of economic and financial crimes and sought greater collaboration with it in the areas of information and intelligence sharing. He gave the commendation on Monday, February 12, 2024 while on a courtesy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC. Lawal who newly assumed office as the Comptroller, NIS, Rivers Marine Command, appreciated the efforts of the EFCC while stressing the need for a…

The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned the Chairman, Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association, Obinna Calistus Okoli before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, sitting in Awka, Anambra State for obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N6,700 million. Okoli was arraigned on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 alongside Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N6.700 million. One of the counts reads: “That you, Obinna Calistus Okoli (while being Chairman of Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association) and Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association…

The Department of Development Control of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to come to its aid in tackling the growing activities of land grabbers within the Federal Capital Territory. This call was made in Abuja on Thursday, 15 February, 2024 when the Director of the department, Mukhtar Usman Galadima led a delegation of other senior officials of the department to the Abuja corporate headquarters of the EFCC on a courtesy visit. “We are here specifically to seek for collaboration in view of the fact that the Commission is for the fight against economic and financial crimes. In recent times, there is an upsurge in…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Sadiq Tafida, son of the Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Njiddah Tafida, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has emerged as the member-elect for House of Representatives to represent Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba State. Tafida, 32, according to the Independent National electoral Commission(INEC), scored a total of 19,681 votes garnered from the rerun and supplementary polls held on Wednesday, 14 February, 2024. Announcing the results on Thursday, 15 February, 2024 the Returning Officer of INEC, a lecturer at the University of Wukari, Professor Olanrewaju Oladipo, said the PDP candidate scored a total of 19,681 votes to emerge…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Two herbalists: Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday; as well as two priests of Cherubim and Seraphim Church Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, are now cooling –off in one of the cells of the Ogun State Command over the killing of one Sulaimon Adijat, aged 35, for money ritual purposes. Also arrested and paraded for the act were: Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, who are both from Uromi in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta on Thursday, 15 February, 2024, the Ogun…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Nigerian music industry has lost another rising talent as singer Michael Aniekeme Meshach, better known as Mish, succumbed to the cold hands of death. The deceased hailed from Obot Okoh Mbiaobong in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. A family member, who confirmed his death to newsmen on Thursday, 15 February, 2024, said the singer died in Abuja. The late singer Mish came to limelight in 2011 after his song, ‘Akwa Ibom Ayaya’ went viral. Not much was heard from the singer after the success of ‘Akwa Ibom Ayaya.’

In pursuit of meeting the targets of 20% (unconditional) and 47% (conditional) greenhouse gas emission reduction as contained in the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Accord signed by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the NNPC Ltd/TotalEnergies Joint Venture has achieved zero routine gas flare in all its assets. This feat was announced on Thursday, 15 February, 2024, during an inspection tour of OML 100 in South-eastern Niger Delta, off Port Harcourt, by a joint NNPC Ltd and TotalEnergies Team to ascertain the success of the OML Flare Reduction Project launched in December 2023. The NNPC Ltd/TotalEnergies Joint Venture, which is the concession holder of four leases, had hitherto achieved zero routine flaring across OML…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that the Federal Government is committed to settling more than N3 trillion debt it inherited in the power sector. Adelabu, who made this disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday, 14 February, 2024 while addressing newsmen, said :“Today, we owe the Power Generating Companies (GenCos) a total of N1.3 trillion, of which 60 per cent is owed to gas suppliers. ”We had a legacy debt of 1.3 billion dollars prior to 2014 to gas supplier companies, and at today’s rate, that is close to two trillion Naira. “If you add…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on President Tinubu to take emergency cation on security and the economy. NBA President Yakubu Maikyau made the call on Wednesday, 15 February, 2024 during a press briefing on the state of the nation. Maikyau said Nigeria was ravaged by bandits and terrorists and the scourge of kidnapping for ransom, noting that the control of parts of the country by criminal elements should be treated as a treasonable felony. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must show demonstrable commitment to prioritize the security of the lives and properties of Nigerians as already…