The hottest and most trending news articles for this week in all categories are captured in one shot. Find articles ranging from News to Sports, to Politics, to Entertainment, to Economy, to Metro plus, and many other categories. See below the top news for the week:
NEWS
- Eid-el Fitr: FG declares Monday, Tuesday public holidays
The Federal Government has declared May 2 and 3 as public holidays to mark the Workers Day and Eld-el-Fitr celebrations. The minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this in a statement by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore on Thursday.
He commended workers for their hard work, diligence, and sacrifice, noting that their efforts are largely responsible for the greatness of the country and the respect Nigeria now commands in the comity of nations. The minister also congratulated all Muslims on the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.
- ASUU: NLC plans solidarity protests, three-day warning strike
The Nigeria Labour Congress has vowed to embark on a nationwide protest at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum it issued to the government to address the demands by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. The congress also said it would declare a three-day strike if the Federal Government failed to resolve the issues.
ASUU and other unions in the public university system have been on strike for the last two months following the failure of the government to implement various agreements.
Rising from a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the NLC Central Working Committee in a communiqué issued on Thursday, said its solidarity protests and strike were meant to draw the government’s attention to the prolonged shutdown of the universities. The communiqué was signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja
- Makinde Launches Two World Class Bus Terminals
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has commissioned two of the world class bus terminals he planned for his state. He was joined Tuesday by his Edo State counterpart, Governor Godwin Obaseki, to commission the Ojoo and Challenge Bus Terminals in Ibadan. According to Governor Makinde, the terminals will be managed by through the public-private-partnership system and in a sustainable manner.
Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin, explained that the four modern bus terminals at Iwo Road, New Ife Road, Challenge and Ojoo in Ibadan was awarded to Messrs Planet Project Ltd on the 5th of May, 2020 at the cost of N16,900,471,800.
The Director General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, Seye Oyeleye has described the newly commissioned Bus Terminal in Ojoo and Challenge axis in Ibadan, as one of global standard which will give Ibadan more relevance, as it is the largest city in Africa, adding that provision of the buses is part of the dividend of Democracy.
- NDLEA nabs drug baron with 103 bank accounts, indicts Abba Kyari’s team
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a suspected drug baron, Afam Emmanuel Ukatu, said to be behind the N3billion Tramadol deal involving the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team. Aside from the N3 billion tramadol deal, the suspect is said to be operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, titled, ‘NDLEA arrests drug baron behind N3billion Tramadol linked to Abba Kyaris team’. Babafemi said the suspect owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria. This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
Babafemi said investigations revealed that the suspect is a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride. He noted that the NDLEA officials arrested Ukatu on Wednesday 13th April on board a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja.
- Senate prohibits ransom payment, abductees’ families seek talks with bandits
The Senate has amended the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013, by prohibiting payment of ransom to kidnappers in Nigeria. A breach of the proposed law may attract a jail term of 15 years. The amendments are contained in the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 (Amendment) Bill, 2022, passed by the Senate on Wednesday following the consideration and adoption of the report by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The committee’s chairman, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who laid the report, said in his presentation that the bill sought to outlaw payment of ransom to abductors, kidnappers and terrorists for release of any person who had been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped. “The overall import of this bill is to discourage the rising spate of kidnapping and abduction for ransom In Nigeria, which is fast spreading across the country,” Bamidele said.
Commenting on the bill after its passage, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the proposal would complement the Federal Government’s efforts in the fight against insecurity when it is signed into law by the President. “It is our belief here in the Senate, that this bill, by the time signed into an Act by Mr President, will enhance the efforts of this government in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and other associated and related vices. This is one piece of legislation that can turn around not only the security situation in Nigeria, but even the economic fortunes of our country,” he said.
- Security challenges, threats to Nigeria’s existence – Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the current security challenges in Nigeria as threats to the foundations of the country’s nationhood. Gbajabiamila, however, noted that the Nigerian government had responded to the challenges by taking certain measures such as increasing funding for the police and the military as well as recruiting personnel for security agencies, among others.
The Speaker said this in a paper he delivered at the School of Oriental Studies, London on Wednesday, titled, ‘Democracy in challenging times: The role of African parliaments in safeguarding and delivering on the dividends of democracy’, as part of his ongoing official visit to the United Kingdom.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, titled, ‘Insecurity threatens Nigeria’s foundations of nationhood – Gbajabiamila says African parliaments working together through CoSAP’(Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments), quoted Gbajabiamila to have pointed out that the most pressing of these challenges today is the national security crisis that threatens the foundations of our nationhood and portends great danger for Africa and the world if it persists.
- Insecurity: DSS warns of more bomb explosions in public places
The Department of State Services, DSS, has alerted the nation of renewed plots by malevolent elements to create more chaos in the country, using improvised explosive devices, IEDs, to bomb public places in the country, including places of worship. Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said in a statement, on Wednesday, that evil men were plotting to return Nigeria to the pre-2015 era when they bombed both soft and hard targets, particularly, worship and relaxation centres.
The DSS pointed out that though the attacks had already been carried out in some parts of the country, the service had uncovered a plot by the suspected criminal gangs to forge an alliance among themselves, with a view to launching further attacks on critical infrastructure and other frequented public places like worship and relaxation centres, especially during and after the holidays and festive celebrations.
According to the secret police, the objective of the planned attacks is to achieve some self-serving interests as well as cause fear among the citizenry. The agency made it clear that it had taken note of the evil plots and had asked the citizens to go about their lawful businesses, while sharing useful information on the activities of criminals at their disposal with security and law enforcement agencies.
- Electoral Act: Malami, Amaechi, Ngige have till Saturday, as APC orders Buhari’s ministers to resign
As part of its last minute efforts to stave off any possible violation of the Electoral Act, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has given a deadline to cabinet ministers and other executive appointees at both the states and federal levels within which they must resign their appointments if they intend to participate in its forthcoming round of primary elections.
The appointees, according to the set of guidelines for the primaries sighted by newsmen, now have till this Saturday to quit their present offices. Section 3(i) of the APC Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for the 2023 General Elections states; ”No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for the purpose of the nomination of candidates.
The party has scheduled to hold its special presidential convention from Monday, May 30, to Wednesday, June 1. By implication, the appointees now have till April 30 to leave their offices.
- Gbajabiamila Seeks UK Parliament’s Collaboration On Insecurity, Others
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has sought the support of the United Kingdom’s Parliament in the area of insecurity, parliamentary diplomacy, as well as political and economic prosperity in Nigeria. He believes Nigeria remains a key player in global affairs and that its Parliament plays an important role in addressing issues through legislation.
Gbajabiamila spoke during a visit to the Speaker of the UK’s House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, in Westminster on Tuesday, saying the Nigerian House had used parliamentary diplomacy at different times and it worked. “We intend to work in close collaboration with your Parliament,” Gbajabiamila was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide, Lanre Lasisi.
Stressing that Nigeria and the UK have “a rich history between them,” he emphasised the need for the parliament to come in whenever there is a government-to-government arrangement.
POLITICS
- 2023: APC Does Not Regret N100m Nomination Fee – Adamu
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, says the party does not regret pegging its presidential nomination form at N100m. He said this on Friday while addressing State House Correspondents after presenting the Ekiti APC governorship candidate, Abiodun Oyebanji, to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former lawmaker explained that the move was to ward off unserious contenders and raise sufficient funds ahead of the upcoming elections. It is also to discourage parties that have no chance of winning elections from sponsoring individuals to play the role of spoilers, he added. Aside from this, the APC leader also said the party has not yet taken a decision on the zoning of its presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
- Goodluck Jonathan Constitutionally Qualified To Run For Presidency – Ozekhome
Human Rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan, is constitutionally qualified to run for president. While Jonathan has not declared any intention to run, there have been speculations of his plan to join the race for the top job. Quoting portions of the Constitution, Ozekhome stated on Friday that if the former president decides to join the race, he is constitutionally permitted to do so.
“The very section 137(3) being relied upon by the antagonists, was signed into law in 2018, three years after Jonathan had left office; and 7 years after he took the oath of President upon Yar’Adua’s demise. Can Jonathan be caught in the web of section 137(3) retrospectively? We shall see that anon.”
Recall that the then Vice President Jonathan had been empowered as Acting President on February 9, 2010, following a motion for operation of the “doctrine of necessity”, by the Senate, owing to the protracted stay of late President Umaru Yar’Adua in Saudi Arabia on medical grounds. When President Yar’Adua eventually died on May 5, 2010, Jonathan was sworn in as president to serve the unexpired residue of office of Yar’Adua. Jonathan was later elected President in 2011 for the first time, on his own merit, after he contested the election.
RETROSPECTIVITY OF LEGISLATION: Aside Jonathan being completely cleansed of the virus of ineligibility to contest the 2023 presidential election by the still extant Court of Appeal decision in Njoku’s case, as Naaman the leper was, after dipping himself in the River Jordan seven times, Jonathan is also aided by the golden canon of interpretation to the effect that an enactment does not operate retrospectively or retroactively to take away from citizens, enured and vested rights.
- 2023: NDLEA writes APC, recommends drug test for presidential aspirants, others
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has written to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), urging the party to include drug test as part of its screening of aspirants on their platforms. The chairman of the agency, Buba Marwa, stated this on Wednesday during the 2022 First Quarter Best Performing Commands Awards ceremony at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja. His statement was contained in a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
Marwa, who said a similar letter will also be written to the main opposition party, PDP, and others, said Nigeria requires a mentally stable set of leaders to pilot its affairs. He said the test will not just be limited to elective office seekers but other appointive office holders. He said that the drug test is necessary to ensure that politicians vested with important national offices, do not use allocations to buy drugs instead of providing needed services for the citizens.
- Electoral Act: Malami, Amaechi, Ngige have till Saturday, as APC orders Buhari’s ministers to resign
As part of its last minute efforts to stave off any possible violation of the Electoral Act, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has given a deadline to cabinet ministers and other executive appointees at both the states and federal levels within which they must resign their appointments if they intend to participate in its forthcoming round of primary elections.
The appointees, according to the set of guidelines for the primaries sighted by Vanguard, now have till this Saturday to quit their present offices. Section 3(i) of the APC Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for the 2023 General Elections states; ”No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for the purpose of the nomination of candidates.
The party has scheduled to hold its special presidential convention from Monday, May 30, to Wednesday, June 1. By implication, the appointees now have till April 30 to leave their offices.
- PDP leaders speak on Jonathan’s rumoured imminent defection to APC
As the rumoured defection of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC is yet to abate; leaders of the main opposition party, Tuesday, spoke on the development in a chat with this medium.
Jonathan, who was elected President of Nigeria in the 2011 election but lost to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, has not been active in the affairs of the party in recent times. Although, he attended the party’s non-elective convention in 2017 and the Presidential convention in 2018 in Port Harcourt, he has not been involved in the activities of the party in the past few years.
With his campaign posters pasted in designated places in the Federal Capital Territory; Jonathan is reportedly on the verge of joining APC after he was credited with an interest in the Office of the President, should President Muhammadu Buhari endorse him.
- 2023: Posters Of Jonathan With APC Logo Adorn Northern Cities
AS the 2023 presidential election draws closer, posters of former president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, bearing the logo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been spotted in some major cities in the North. It was gathered that the posters of Jonathan dominated the famous Abaraba Street, Onitsha Street and Burma Road-all in Sabon Gari area of Kano State.
Also in Gombe town, the posters of the former number one citizen were spotted around Rainbow roundabout and the Federal College of Education (Technical) in the state capital. Similarly, posters of the former president adorned most of the public and private buildings in Wuse II area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, especially around the Blantyre street where the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is located.
- 2023: Ogun gov declares support for Osinbajo’s presidential bid
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, said the state would support Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential ambition to enable him to continue with some of the laudable projects of the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Abiodun disclosed this when he and other members of the State Executive Council accompanied Osinbajo to the palaces of some prominent traditional rulers in the state in continuation of the Vice President’s campaign ahead of the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress. Abiodun said Osinbajo, in the last seven years, had contributed to the many successes recorded by the Federal Government, noting that “he is eminently qualified to lead the country.”
Speaking on the ambition of the Vice President, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, attested to the competence of Osinbajo, saying, “the vice president has paid his dues and is eminently qualified to succeed as President.
Osinbajo, on his part, expressed optimism that he would emerge victorious. This is just as he said his administration would bring peace, unity and development to the country. He had earlier visited the Akarigbo and paramount ruler of Remoland, Oba Adewale Ajayi, in his palace in Sagamu. He sought the support and blessings of the traditional rulers, promising that he would serve with humility when elected President.
- Gov Ortom Disowns Ex-Chief Of Staff’s N160m Election Support Cash Claim
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has rebuffed claim by his former Chief of Staff, Mr. Terwase Orbunde, to pay him a princely sum of N160 million, which he claimed to have used in assisting the governor to win the 2015 election. Governor Ortom’s rebuff is contained in a response to a formal request by his former CoS to reimburse him with the said amount of money, which he claimed to have sold his house in Wuye District of Abuja and ploughed same into the election of the governor but did not say in specific terms how the money was deployed.
In what appeared as an open confrontation, Mr. Orbunde had in a five-paragraph letter dated April 16, 2022, with the title: “Appeal for Reimbursement”, reminded Ortom to refund the N160 million to him since he sold his property at Plot 715 Wuye, BO3 District to raise the money which was spent on the 2015 election. But Governor Ortom on April 23, 2022 fired back at Orbunde, dismissing his claim of N160 million as untenable and unknown to him, while acknowledging the fact that he worked with Orbunde during the election leading to his victory in 2015.
- Storm over plot to draft Jonathan as APC flag-bearer
There is a storm in the polity over subterranean plots by some political hawks in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to woo ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to the party and get him fielded as the party’s 2023 presidential standard-bearer. The move is facing stiff resistance from some presidential aspirants of the party, who described it as insensitive to the feelings of those who had been labouring to make APC a household name.
Their position nonetheless, the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi, described the move as ironic and self-indicting, saying it is an admission of failure by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. According to Professor Abdullahi, it is ironic that those who drove out Jonathan in 2015 will now turn back to beg him to join them.
The plot also drew cautious reactions from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders, including Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, and former National Chairman of the PDP and Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
ECONOMY
- IMF warns Nigeria, others of hunger-induced unrests
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned Nigeria and other Sub Saharan countries against hunger-related social unrests as a direct consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which combined with inflation, rising debt poses a major threat to economic growth in the region. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned Nigeria and other African countries of the possibility hunger-related social unrests ahead, as a direct consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This was contained in its Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook released in Washington DC, United states of America, yesterday. Africa is said to depend on Russia and Ukraine for about 50 percent of its wheat import.
- AfDB’s Support Will Help Nigeria To Produce 9.5 Million Tons Of Food — Adesina
The president of the (AfDB) President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina on Tuesday said the support offered Nigeria by the bank would result in the production of 9.5 million metric tons of food. Adesina said this when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The former minister of agriculture said in the wet season of 2022, at least five million smallholder farmers would be helped to cultivate one million hectares of maize, one million hectares of rice, and 250,000 hectares of sorghum and soybeans. “In total, our support will help Nigeria produce 9.5 million metric tons of food.”
States that will benefit from the assistance include Kano, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Imo, Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Akinwunmi had briefed him on steps being taken by the bank to avert food crisis in Africa in the foreseeable future. Adesina had told him that the Russia-Ukraine war would create global problems, and particularly for Africa, which imports a huge percentage of its food from the two countries.
- Subsidy hits N1.35tn in four months, NNPC to deduct N672bn
THE subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, between January and March 2022 has risen to N675.93bn, the latest data obtained from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Wednesday showed. Also, the NNPC has informed the Federation Account Allocation Committee that it will deduct or recover N671.88bn from April 2022 proceeds due for sharing at the May 2022 FAAC meeting.
It described the N671.88bn as a value shortfall incurred by the NNPC, as the oil firm has remained the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria and has been subsidising the commodity using billions of naira monthly. Figures obtained by newsmen from NNPC in Abuja on Wednesday showed that the oil firm spent N210.38bn, N219.78bn and N245.77bn as subsidy on petrol in January, February and March 2022 respectively.
This implies that within the three-month period the oil company had spent N675.93bn on PMS subsidy. NNPC, however, described its subsidy spending as an under-recovery of PMS/value shortfall. Meanwhile, in its presentation to FAAC during the committee’s April 26, 2022 meeting, NNPC told the committee members that it would deduct over N671bn at their next meeting in May.
BUSINESS
- Elon Musk strikes deal to buy Twitter for $44bn
The board of Twitter has agreed to a $44bn (£34.5bn) takeover offer from the billionaire Elon Musk. Mr Musk, who made the shock bid less than two weeks ago, said Twitter had “tremendous potential” that he would unlock. He also called for a series of changes from relaxing its content restrictions to eradicating fake accounts. The firm initially rebuffed Mr Musk’s bid, but it will now ask shareholders to vote to approve the deal.
Mr Musk is the world’s richest person, according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of $273.6bn mostly due to his shareholding in electric vehicle maker Tesla which he runs. He also leads the aerospace firm SpaceX.
- Don’t Buy Or Repair Transformers, Others, FCPC Tells Nigerians
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has reiterated that distribution companies (DisCos), not consumers, are responsible for buying, replacing, or repairing transformers and other electrical equipment used in power distribution.
“Electricity Consumer Right/Responsibility: It is not the responsibility of the customer or the community to purchase, replace or repair transformers, poles or other associated equipment used in the distribution of electricity,” the agency said on Sunday. Faulty transformers are supposed to be replaced by the Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) within forty-eight hours of the official complaint being made. The Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) is responsible for such replacements or repairs.”
It, however, explained that “if the Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) is unable to speedily replace the faulty transformer, residents may go into discussions with the company and agree on the terms of the replacement of the affected transformer if they so wish to assume the responsibility of the company”. FCPC’s statement followed a similar one by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which faulted claims of electricity distribution companies forcing consumers to buy or repair electricity assets as part of conditions to restore power supply.
HEALTH
- Studies Show That Meningitis Vaccine Protects Against Gonorrhoea
An existing meningitis vaccine offers protection against gonorrhoea, three studies said on Thursday, pointing towards a new way to fight the spread of the sexually transmitted disease. Sometimes called “the clap”, gonorrhoea infected around 82 million people last year, according to the World Health Organization.
The number of cases has been rising as resistance grows to the drugs used to treat the disease, leading to fears it could become increasingly untreatable. No vaccine has been developed for gonorrhoea, which mainly affects people under 30 — particularly men — and can only be avoided by using a condom or abstaining from sex.
However three new studies in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal show how effective a vaccine against fellow bacterial infection meningitis B could be against gonorrhoea. Australian researchers analysed the data of more than 53,000 adolescents and young adults who received the two-dose 4CMenB meningococcal B vaccine in the state of South Australia. They found that while it was highly effective against meningitis and sepsis, it was also 33-percent effective against gonorrhoea.
- Get tested before taking antimalarials, physician tells Nigerians
A Professor of Public health, Dr. Tanimola Akande, has warned Nigerians against taking antimalarials without first getting tested, noting that it is wrong to take malaria medication to treat fever.
Prof. Akande explained that other health conditions aside from malaria can cause fever.
The public health expert also cautioned against taking malaria medications recklessly for prevention, stressing that it is always advisable to first get properly diagnosed before treating any disease. Akande, however, explained that preventive treatment of malaria is permitted for certain people who are susceptible to severe malaria, like foreigners from countries where malaria is not endemic.”
He explained that the reason some people with AA genotype are susceptible to malaria could be due to their genetic disposition, but added that research is still ongoing to shed light on it. He also revealed that persons with AS and AC genotypes have some form of immunity confirmed on them.
- DR Congo Confirms New Ebola Case
A new case of the Ebola virus has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s health officials said. The new case was confirmed in Mbandaka, a city in the north-western Equateur Province. This is the third outbreak in the province since 2018.
The 31-year-old patient began showing symptoms of the disease on April 5 after staying more than a week at home, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa, explained. But on 21 April, the patient was admitted to an Ebola treatment centre for intensive care. He died later that day, prompting health workers to immediately begin the submission of samples to test for the Ebola virus disease.
The country is experiencing its fourteenth Ebola outbreak since 1976. The present one is the sixth since 2018. Previous outbreaks in Equateur Province were in 2020 and 2018, with 130 and 54 reported cases respectively. Efforts to curb the spread of the disease including vaccination are being ramped up. Vaccines will be sent to Mbandaka and administered via the ‘ring vaccination strategy.
EDUCATION
- ASUU: I have done what Napoleon couldn’t do – Ngige
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said that he has done what many cannot do to forestall strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. Senator Ngige also dismissed insinuations that he is responsible for the ongoing action by the union, saying that his work was only to conciliate and not to implement agreements reached.
Speaking on a Live Interview Programme, the Minister said he has successfully conciliated 1683 industrial disputes since assumption of office in 2015, and has been taking extra measures beyond his statutory responsibilities, to forestall strike and ensure action is promptly suspended when workers unions make it inevitable.
Ngige also said the untiring efforts of his office towards peaceful national industrial milieu , sleepless nights as a parent whose children are also in the public universities and who equally bear the brunt of ASUU strike, are being undermined by an erroneous impression by some Nigerians over his role as a conciliator, and by the uncooperative, anti-labour attitude of ASUU leadership.
The Minister insisted that the role of the Minister of Labour is to conciliate disputes and does not include the implementation of agreements so reached with parties.
- Strike: ASUU Cannot Dictate Payment Platform For Their Salaries – Nwajiuba
The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has said the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) cannot dictate to the Federal Government what platform to be used in paying their salaries. He stated this in Abuja while addressing journalists shortly after receiving his presidential Nomination Form of the All Progressives Congress (APC) purchased for him by the Project Nigeria Group.
“It is impractical and incongruous to continuously expect that somebody who is paid a salary continues to dictate to the someone who pays him: ‘This is how you must pay me’. This is where this anomaly is,” the minister said. Mr Nwajiuba also appealed to the striking lecturers to return to the classroom as the Federal Government is working to address some of their concerns.
WORLD
- Putin Warns Of ‘Lightning Response’ To Intervention In Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that if any other country intervenes in Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, Russia will launch a quick-fire military response. Speaking to lawmakers, Putin said that “if anyone sets out to intervene in the current events from the outside and creates unacceptable threats for us that are strategic in nature, they should know that our response… will be lightning-fast”.
The Russian leader said that the military would not hesitate to use the most modern weaponry. “We have all the tools for this, that no one else can boast of having. We won’t boast about it: we’ll use them if needed. And I want everyone to know that,” Putin said. We have already taken all the decisions on this.”
Putin has frequently touted Russia’s development of modern weaponry, including hypersonic missiles and the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile that was successfully tested earlier this month.
- Russia Takes Responsibility For Airstrike On Kyiv During UN Chief’s Visit
Russia confirmed Friday that it carried out an airstrike on Kyiv during a visit by the UN’s secretary-general, the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital in nearly two weeks, and in which a journalist also died. Vera Gyrych, a producer for the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was killed when a Russian missile hit the building where she lived, the media group said.
Russia’s defence ministry said it had deployed “high-precision, long-range air-based weapons” that “destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a stronger global response to Thursday’s strikes, which immediately followed his talks in the city with UN chief Antonio Guterres. “It is unfortunate, but such a deliberate and brutal humiliation of the United Nations by Russia has gone unanswered,” he said.
- World Leaders Welcome Macron’s Re-Election
World leaders rushed to congratulate France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election and defeat of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in elections Sunday. The pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron vowed to unite a divided France after winning a second term as French president in a decisive victory against the far-right’s Marine Le Pen, who nonetheless won more than 13 million votes in a historic high for her anti-immigration party.
Macron became the first French leader to win re-election for 20 years, scoring 58.54% to Le Pen’s 41.46%. Addressing a victory rally at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, where his supporters waved French and European flags, Macron vowed to respond “efficiently” to the “anger and disagreement” of voters who chose the far right.
- World’s Oldest Person Dies In Japan At 119
A Japanese woman certified the world’s oldest person has died at the age of 119, local officials said Monday. Kane Tanaka was born on January 2, 1903, in the southwestern Fukuoka region of Japan, the same year the Wright brothers flew for the first time and Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.
Tanaka was in relatively good health until recently and lived at a nursing home, where she enjoyed board games, solving maths problems, soda, and chocolate. In her younger years, Tanaka ran various businesses including a noodle shop and a rice cake store. She married Hideo Tanaka a century ago in 1922, giving birth to four children and adopting a fifth.
She had planned to use a wheelchair to take part in the torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but the pandemic prevented her from doing so. When the Guinness World Records recognised her as the oldest person alive in 2019, she was asked what moment she was the most happy in life. Her answer: “Now.”
Japan has the world’s most elderly population, according to World Bank data, with around 28 percent aged 65 or over. The oldest-ever living person verified by Guinness was Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment, who died aged 122 years and 164 days in 1997.
- Harvard Creates $100m Slavery Reparation Fund
America’s prestigious Harvard University announced Tuesday it will commit $100 million to redress its role in slavery, as more US institutions move toward reparations for historical injustices. Harvard said it was putting the money into a fund to help tackle the educational and social gaps caused by the legacies of the slave trade and racism. The move follows a wide-ranging internal review of the university’s role in slavery, the results of which were posted on its website.
The 100-page report made several recommendations about how the money should be spent, including the improvement of educational opportunities for descendant communities, honoring enslaved people through memorials and research, and creating partnerships with Black colleges and universities. It also recommended identifying and supporting direct descendants of Black and Native American enslaved individuals who labored on Harvard’s campus and who were enslaved by previous Harvard leaders.
Harvard was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636. The report found that Harvard staff, including four presidents, enslaved more than 70 individuals until slavery was outlawed in the state in 1783. The report also found that the university “benefited from extensive financial ties to slavery,” including donations from slave traders.
- Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Handed Five Years In Jail Over Corruption – Spokesman
A Myanmar junta court on Wednesday sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail for corruption, part of a barrage of criminal cases that could see the deposed civilian leader jailed for decades.
Since a military coup ousted her government in February last year, plunging Myanmar into upheaval, Suu Kyi has been in military custody.
In the latest case, the Nobel laureate was accused of accepting a bribe of $600,000 cash and gold bars. After two days of delays, the special court in the military-built capital Naypyidaw handed down its verdict and sentence at 9:30 am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday. She still faces a raft of other criminal charges, including violating the official secrets act, corruption and electoral fraud, and could be jailed for more than 100 years if convicted on all counts.
The 76-year-old had already been sentenced to six years in jail for incitement against the military, breaching Covid-19 rules, and breaking a telecommunications law — although she will remain under house arrest while she fights other charges. Journalists have been barred from attending the court hearings and Suu Kyi’s lawyers have been banned from speaking to the media.
- Russia Cuts Gas Supply To Poland, Bulgaria
Russia halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday, after blasts in a breakaway region of neighbouring Moldova led Kyiv to accuse Moscow of seeking to expand the Ukraine war further into Europe. The Russian energy giant Gazprom said it had cut supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, in Moscow’s latest use of gas as a weapon in a conflict that has now dragged into its third month and claimed thousands of lives.
Explosions this week targeting the state security ministry, a radio tower and military unit in neighbouring Moldova’s region of Transnistria — occupied by Moscow’s forces for decades — followed a Kremlin commander’s claims Russian speakers in the country were being oppressed. That triggered alarm that Moldova could be Russia’s next target in its push into Europe, with Moscow having exploited similar fears after launching its bloody invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been lobbying for heavier firepower to push back the Russian advance now focused on the eastern region of Donbas. Western allies are wary of being drawn into an outright war with Russia, but Washington pledged Tuesday at a summit to move “heaven and earth” to enable Ukraine to emerge victorious.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Why I was banned in the US – Comedian Bovi
Popular Nigerian comedian, Bovi Ugboma, on Tuesday revealed that he has been banned from entering the United States. The comic star revealed this while replying to questions from fans after he hosted a Question and Answer segment on his Instagram story. According to Bovi, he was banned from the country after he clashed with a visa-issuing officer and got labelled. “I’m banned in the USA,” the father-of-three replied.
Another fan asked him if he intended to leave the country and he replied, “I am a citizen of the world. Except for Yankee where I’m banned.” Explaining the reason for the ban, he said, “ Ill luck. Met a charity-like visa-issuing officer. Egos clashed. I was labelled.”
- Yul Edochie’s Wife Reacts To Actor’s Second Marriage
Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, caused a stir on social media when he announced his second marriage to fellow actress, Judy Austin, on Wednesday. In his announcement, Yul also revealed that he has welcomed a son with his second wife.
Yul’s first wife of 17 years, May, has reacted to the news of her husband’s second marriage, as she called on the judgement of God over the union. Taking to the comment section of her husband’s post, she wrote, “May God judge you both.”
While announcing his new son, Yul Edochie added that he loves the child as much as he loved his older four children, which he shared with his first wife, May. Edochie wrote, “It’s time for the world to meet my son. His name is STAR DIKE MUNACHIMSO YUL-EDOCHIE. Born by my second wife, Judy Austin. And I love him so much, just as much as I love my other children.”
SPORTS
- Mohamed Salah, Sam Kerr Win English Football Writers’ Awards
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been voted footballer of the year by sportswriters in England, while Chelsea’s Australian striker Sam Kerr won the women’s award. Salah took 48 percent of the vote for the Football Writers’ Association award, ahead of Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
Salah, whose 30 goals this season have spearheaded Liverpool’s bid for a quadruple of trophies, is in talks about a new contract, with the club increasingly hopeful the Egyptian international will stay at Anfield. The 29-year-old wins the football writers’ award for the second time.
- Klopp Signs New Liverpool Contract Until 2026
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has signed a new contract that will keep him at Anfield until 2026, the Premier League club announced on Thursday. The German, whose previous deal was due to expire in 2024, said he was “delighted, humbled, blessed” to be staying for an extra two years. There is just so much to love about this place,” he said. “I knew that before I came here. I got to know it even better after I arrived and now I know it more than ever before.
- Klopp Unsure If His Own Liverpool Deal Will Persuade Salah To Stay
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he does not believe his new deal will be the deciding factor in whether star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane commit their long-term futures to the club.
Salah and Mane, along with fellow attacker Roberto Firmino and midfielder Naby Keita, have contracts that expire next year. With Klopp now staying until 2026, there is a greater degree of security at the club, but the German is not convinced that will make a huge difference to individual players’ decisions.
- Man Utd Manager Ralf Rangnick Named Austria Coach
Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has been appointed coach of Austria’s national team, the federation said Friday, but he will continue in a consultancy role at the club. Rangnick joined United as interim manager in November last year and will move into an advisory position after Ajax coach Erik ten Hag comes in as the new permanent manager.
The 63-year-old German “will combine the job with his consultancy role at Old Trafford as planned,” United said in a statement. The Austrian federation said Rangnick had been given a two-year deal that will be extended to four years if he secures qualification for the 2024 European championship.
- Arteta Backs Arsenal Youngsters To Cope With Top-Four Pressure
Mikel Arteta is confident that Arsenal’s crop of young stars can cope with the mounting pressure as they seek to seal a place in next season’s Champions League. Arteta’s side are fourth in the Premier League with five games left as they fight to return to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2016/17.
The Gunners, two points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, have climbed into the top four thanks to a set of gifted players developed by Arteta including Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Nuno Tavares. Now they must prove they can perform when the pressure mounts, starting on Sunday at London rivals West Ham.
- Tyson Fury reiterates retirement vow ‘I’m done!’
Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury has retired from boxing saying no amount of money will tempt him to change the decision. The 33-year-old British fighter hinted at retirement ahead of and in the aftermath of last Saturday’s showdown with Whyte, which ended with Fury securing a sixth-round stoppage triumph in front of a record crowd. He disclosed that he is happy with his lot and ready to hang up his gloves, three days after defeating Briton Dillian Whyte in round six making him the best heavyweight in the world.
Speaking in an interview Fury said he is leaving boxing behind to spend more time with his family. “When is enough enough? I’m happy, I’m healthy, I’ve still got my brains and I can still talk. I’ve got a beautiful wife, six kids, I’ve got umpteen belts, plenty of money, success, fame, glory – what more am I doing it for? Boxing is a very dangerous sport. You can be taken out with one punch as we’ve seen on Saturday and it’s one unlucky blow and you may not get up off that canvas.
“I’m quitting while I’m ahead, I’m undefeated and only the second man in history to retire as undefeated heavyweight champion. I’m very, very happy, very content in my heart with what I’ve done and what I’ve achieved.”
- Rudiger Will Leave Chelsea At End Of Season – Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel has revealed Germany defender Antonio Rudiger will leave Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of this season.
Tuchel had hoped to persuade Rudiger to stay at Stamford Bridge, but the centre-back has opted to end his five-year spell with the Premier League club.
Chelsea’s attempts to keep Rudiger were hampered by the British government’s sanctions on Russian owner Roman Abramovich, which included a rule that existing players could not sign new contracts.
The Blues are believed to have made a contract offer to Rudiger prior to the sanctions, but the deal was never finalised after a request was reportedly made for large signing-on and agent fees.
The 29-year-old, who arrived in west London from Roma in 2017, is reported to be keen on a move to Real Madrid, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also interested in offering him a lucrative free agent deal. Tuchel admitted Rudiger’s departure will be a big blow to a team that won the Champions League and Club World Cup thanks in part to his rock-solid displays.
METRO PLUS
- Hunters shave people’s hair in Benue, Ortom calls for arrest
A group of youths suspected to be hunters and forest security guards was spotted to have shaved a young lady’s hair in Makurdi, Benue State capital. Members of the group were said to have gone after people in the state capital who reportedly dyed or coloured their hair, intercept them in broad daylight, and shaved their hair using unsterilised scissors. In video links circulated on social media, the incidents were said to have happened on Monday and Tuesday in Makurdi.
In the video, some young men were seen with unsterilised scissors shaving the hair of a young lady publicly while other members of the group shot sporadically into the air after they forcefully stopped the motorcycle the lady was riding on. The ugly development triggered verbal protests both on the social media and across the state with many people calling for the arrest of the leadership of the Hunters Security outfit.
Meanwhile, the State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Wednesday ordered the immediate arrest of the leaders of the group which he described as an ‘illegal group of Hunters and Forests Security Guards. He maintained that the state government had no relationship with Hunter’s security outfit and would not in any way condone their operations in the state.
- UNICEF To Kano Govt: Pass Child Protection Bill Into Law To Address Bottlenecks Against Children’s Rights
The United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, has called on Kano State government to urgently pass the Child Protection Bill into law to address bottleneck issues affecting children’s rights and development in the state.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr. Rahama Farah, made the call while launching the Situation Analysis (SitAn) of children in Kano State report compiled by the state government through the Ministry of Planning and Budget, with support from the agency.
Farah also called for scale up of social protection programmes in the state, such as cash transfer programmes, moving towards child grant to accelerate poverty reduction and human development and to address some of the financial barriers to children accessing basic social services, such as health, and education.
Children continue to be deprived due to unemployment or low income learning levels of their parents and caregivers coupled with limited social services, especially those in hard-to-reach locations. The deprivations are multi dimensional in nature, affecting all seven elements of children’s well-being, namely, nutrition, health, water, sanitation, housing, education and information.
- Kaduna train attack: We’re ready to negotiate with terrorists – victims’ families
Thirty days after the abduction of the Abuja-Kaduna-bound train passengers, relatives and friends of the victims said they are still traumatized by the incident. They noted that the government had yet to reach out to them one month after the incident, noting that life has not been the same without their loved ones.
In an exclusive interview with newsmen, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, leader of the families of the victims in Kaduna on Wednesday, said they were willing to discuss with the terrorists if that remains the only option to see their loved ones release unhurt.
According to the chairman, the government is yet to reach out to the families as to the extent they have gone for the release of the victims since the terrorists said they can only discuss with the government. Jimoh said the families were in the dark and worried over the development, especially as the terrorists preferred to negotiate with the government.
- 30 days after train attack, FG should’ve rescued kidnapped victims, says CAN
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State has said that 30 Days after the Kaduna-Abuja train attack, it’s high time the government rescue innócent Nigerians from captivity. Rev Joseph John Hayab Chairman, CAN Kaduna State, in a statement on Thursday, said on 28th March 2022, a passenger train from Abuja to Kaduna was attacked, some passengers were killed, others sustained injuries whereas scores were kidnapped.
“Since then it is now 30 days of agony, sleepless nights, lamentation, shedding of tears, and psychological anguish for the victims, the members of their immediate and extended families, people of conscience, and many well-wishers.” Sadly, despite acknowledging the misfortune caused by the attacks by those responsible for protecting lives and property, the head of the ministry responsible for rail transport has not shown enough empathy towards families or made plausible efforts to actualize the freedom of the abducted from the terrorists.”
“The most essential ingredient of democracy is freedom and security but Nigerians are enduring a varied meaning of democracy. Consequently, CAN Kaduna State frowns at the way these families have been left on their own, especially the lack of adequate and encouraging proof from the government and the agency responsible for rail transportation to douse their fears”.
