Author: The Gazelle News

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has charged the various Senate caucuses representing the six geo-political zones in the country to work together in the interest of Nigeria. Lawan gave the charge during the start of plenary on Wednesday, 12 February, 2020,  in his remarks sequel to a point of order raised by the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on the emergence of a new leadership for the South East Senators caucus. Coming under order 43 of the Senate rules, Abaribe informed the upper chamber that the caucus within the week, elected Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu,…

•By Abdulwarees Solanke As the global community marks the world radio day tomorrow February 13, Voice of Nigeria is set to interrogate how radio broadcasting can survive the tempest of underfunding in the age of digital revolution. The corporation is staging a one-day seminar at its Broadcasting House Complex Ikoyi Lagos where notable media scholars and practitioners will attempt to proffer solutions on how Radio Broadcasting can still be relevant to address development challenges in diverse polities, despite dwindling funding of the government established media. A senior Lecture in the School of Communication, Lagos State University, Dr. Tunde Akanni  is leading…

Top leaders of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State on Tuesday pledged their loyalty to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq whose leadership style, humility and attachment to the poor they described as a breath of fresh air. The PDP leaders, who also comprised at least six suspended council chairmen, women and several youth leaders, spoke late Tuesday when they visited AbdulRazaq in Government House in Ilorin, the state capital. “We can see a difference and people can feel that they have a government. The situation has changed in the area of road construction, water, health. You have also brought…

•By Omogbolahan Adisa, Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Executive Council has approved the bill for the establishment of Ekiti State Security network agency and Amotekun Corps. The Gazelle News.com gathered through a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of the State, Yinka Oyebode, that the Council took the decision at its meeting of Wednesday, 12 February, 2020 in Ado Ekiti, the state capital. According to Oyebode, “The meeting discussed the legal framework for the security outfit  presented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapounda and approved it”. The Gazelle News.com can also…

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Wednesday, 12 February, 2020, inaugurated a 56-member Steering and Constitution Review Committee of the Senate to re-examine the Nigerian Constitution in line with the yearnings of the people. The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege is the chair of the committee which is expected to work in collaboration with a similar committee from the House of Representatives. Inaugurating the committee, the Senate President said reviewing the constitution is an arduous task which requires painstaking consultation, dialogue and debates. Lawan said it is expected that there will be consultations with public organisations and the civil…

•By Dare Ojelade, Lagos Veteran highlife musician, Dr Victor Olaiya is dead, The Gazelle News.com can report. The Gazelle News.com gathered from a statement by Bimbo Esho, Managing Director of Evergreen Music Company Limited, that Dr Olaiya died at 12 noon on Wednesday, 12 February, 2020. He died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos. Aged 89, Dr Olaiya was a recipient of the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) for his exploits in highlife music. The Gazelle News.com can also report that he was the last man standing among the greatest…

For my former colleague at Concord Press, now a young grandma, Patience Akpan, every child or grandchild of hers is her favourite. The scintillatingly beauteous and fashionable professor at Arizona State University in the United States seizes every opportunity to register didactic messages on her fans. These favourite children and all the favourite grandchildren always radiate excitement in her presence. Who will not feel appreciated as a favourite, anyway? Like, Patience, all my February born friends are my favourites. This year however, I chose to settle for two as my star favourites both born on February 12. February 12 2020…

Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot stop fascinating me. His ability to spot talents from everywhere  is simply incomparable. His capacity for building friendships and networks across borders is peculiar to him. His sagacity and intellect and native intelligence can both astound and confound even intimidate. Look around Nigeria, you’ll see human evidences of his greatness. I need not here rehash a very well-known list of his protégés from across Nigeria. Meanwhile, his peers from other parts are egocentrically taking care of themselves and their families alone. Blessed is the man who invests in other men (and women) for his fame and…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, have pledged to strengthen collaboration and cooperation as part of efforts to sanitise the financial sector. This was the outcome of the courtesy visit by Abdullahi Lawal, Head, EFCC Sokoto Zonal Office who led a delegation to the CBN’s Branch Controller in Sokoto, Yusuf Baba Wali, on February 11, 2020. While lauding the CBN as a critical partner of the EFCC, as indicated in the fact that the CBN governor is a member of the EFCC Board, Lawal noted that “the coming together of the two…

Six years after the government of Oyo State last recruited secondary school teachers, Governor Seyi Makinde has given a directive to the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) to recruit 7,000 teachers; 2,000 non-teaching staff and 1,600 night guards. The chairman of TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alamu, who confirmed the development during a press conference on Tuesday, stated that Governor Makinde equally directed that applicants should be given the forms free of charge. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the TESCOM boss as saying that the application form would be in circulation for two weeks…

The Post Master General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Postal Services, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi, has told the Bangladesh envoy that lifting Nigerians completely out of poverty is very cardinal to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Adewusi said as a huge Black nation, Nigeria’s place in the global scheme of things requires that the people must be helped to overcome poverty in all its ramifications. He said this explains the many courageous reforms being embarked upon by the Nigerian president. The Post Master General while speaking during a courtesy call on him by the Bangladesh High…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Makurdi Zonal Office on February 11, 2020 secured the conviction of one Otene Olafikwu for offence bordering on currency counterfeiting.  He was on February 6, 2020 brought before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of a Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State on a two-count charge alongside John Garba Aondohemba, Simon Atsen Gbagir and Janet Tyondugh for possessing and altering two counterfeit $50 bills. They had pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, but Olafikwu later approached the EFCC for a plea bargain, prompting him to change his plea to “guilty”. In view of his guilty plea, and…

The Lead Visioner of Team Jandor project, Mr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran has approved the appointment of Mrs. Khairat Ojikutu-Shokoya as the Director of Mobilization for the Team Jandor project. Mrs Ojikutu-Shokoya, a grassroots politician, has served as a member and secretary of  caretaker Committee, as well as Special a Adviser on Planning, Budget and Statistics in Ojodu Local Council Development Area of Lagos state. Mrs. Khairat Ojikutu-Shokoya, a seasoned Chattered Accountant was until her appointment, the Cordinator of Alhaji Ojikutu led Support Group for Team Jandor. In the same vein, Eniola Opeyemi was appointed as Special Assistant on Media and…

L-R: Councillor, City of Brampton, Charmaine Williams; Mayor of Brampton, Canada, Mr. Patrick Brown andLagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Oluduring a courtesy visit to the Governor at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The ongoing infrastructural development programme of the Lagos State Government is a deliberate effort to make the State attractive to Diasporan investment, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said. Sanwo-Olu said there would be no point requesting Nigerians abroad to come back home to invest if the local business environment was not made to support their aspirations. The Governor disclosed this while receiving His Worship, Mr. Patrick…

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a trending tweet from @TheRealDayne showing pictures purported to be the EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Office Holding Cell. The Commission hereby states that the tweet is not just the imagination of its author, but a mischief and a calculated attempt to smear the hard-earned reputation of the Commission. Contrary to the fake pictures circulated by @TheRealDayne, the facility in Port Harcourt Zonal Office, like all other EFCC cells, boasts of a high degree of decency and therefore, cannot be the open dumping facility, surrounded by razor-wired walls, depicted in the picture that…

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today called on Federal and State Governments in Nigeria to make human security the focus of their cybersecurity initiatives, saying it is only by so doing that they can hope to win the unequivocal support of citizens and other stakeholders for efforts to make the internet safer and secure for all, irrespective of age, gender or social status. In a statement issued in Lagos by Mr John Gbadamosi, MRA’s Programme Officer, to commemorate this year’s edition of Safer Internet Day, the organization said: “The notion, which has been embraced by many governments, that cybersecurity can only…

•By Ademola Akanni, Abuja President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday, 11 February, 2020, led a high power delegation to the residence of the deceased Senator Ignatius Longjang on a condolence visit to the family. The Gazelle News.com can report that on the entourage of the Senate President are: the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi; the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Sabi Abdullahi; and the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Philip Aduda who are all principal officers. The Gazelle News.com learnt that the Senate President was out of Abuja when the incident occurred…

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday swore-in another set of five Permanent Secretaries in the Civil Service of Oyo State, taking to 19 the number of Permanent Secretaries appointed since he assumed office in May 2019. The Governor, who called on the new permanent secretaries to see their appointments as a call to service, maintained that the appointments were based on merit and qualification. A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the swearing-in ceremony was held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, quoting that…

The Government of Oyo State declared on Tuesday, 11 February, 2020,  that members of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) were deliberately frustrating the planned out-of-court settlement of the crisis rocking local governments in the state. Special Counsel to the State Governor, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), who spoke on the stance of ALGON members in a statement on Tuesday, said that the sacked chairmen wrongly latched onto a script by the Attorney General of the Federation, which he said lacks foundation in law. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted…