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U.S. says North Korea an urgent priority for the United States
North Korea’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs are an urgent priority for the United States and Washington remains committed to denuclearization of the country, the U.S. State Department said on Friday. The Biden administration’s lack of direct engagement with North Korea should not be seen as an indication that the challenge posed by its weapons programs was not a priority, department spokesman Ned Price said. “It in fact very much is,” he told a regular briefing. North Korea continued to make progress in its nuclear and missile programs in recent years “which makes this an urgent priority for the United States and one that we are committed to addressing together with our allies and partners,” Price said. “And … the central premise is that we remain committed to denuclearizat...
Myanmar police fire rubber bullets, wounding three, as hundreds of thousands protest
Supporters of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the military junta’s call to halt mass gatherings. The United Nations human rights office said more than 350 people, including officials, activists and monks, have been arrested in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup, including some who face criminal charges on “dubious grounds”. The U.N. rights investigator for Myanmar told a special session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that there were “growing reports, photographic evidence” that security forces have used live ammunition against protesters, in violation of international law. Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews urged the U.N. Security Council to consider imposing sanctio...
Ex-President Obasanjo urges Nigerian youths to make it uncomfortable for old leaders to remain in government
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged youths to mobilise and make it uncomfortable for old leaders to remain in government. He stated this on Sunday during a virtual interview with academic and historian, Toyin Falola. Obasanjo, who was Nigeria’s president between 1999 and 2007 under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party, also apologised to youths, saying his generation had done a lot of wrongs in Nigeria but the youths can change the fortunes of the country by taking over leadership. Many Nigerians have lamented the persistent recycling of leaders since post-independence Nigeria till date as some leaders who ruled Nigeria during the military era have been in charge in the last 21 years since the country returned to democracy in 1999. Responding to a question by a youth during ...
Coronavirus: UAE restricts Nigerian passengers to Dubai airport
The United Arab Emirate, UAE, says passengers from Nigeria can no longer travel through other countries or airports to Dubai. This was made known in a notice by Dubai Airports, the operators of Dubai International Airport. The regulations restricted Nigerian passengers from transiting through other airports. The move comes as the United Kingdom on Friday suspended direct flights between the UAE and the UK as part of measures to curb the spread of the raging coronavirus disease. In a notice sent to travel partners, Dubai Airports said amongst other things, passengers from Nigeria can no longer travel through other countries or airports to Dubai. The notice was titled, ‘Dubai Travel Protocol Update–Travel From Nigeria’. It read, “Kindly be advised that effective from 01 February 2021, the fo...
NUT: Edo government’s ‘no-work-no-pay’ policy empty threat
Nigeria Union of Teachers Teachers under the Edo State branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers on Friday said they would not call off their ongoing strike following a ‘no work, no pay’ policy announced by the state government ahead of the resumption of schools on February 1. The teachers said they would not succumb to what they described an “empty threat,” as they vowed to continue with the strike until their demands were met. The NUT had directed treachers in the state to begin an indefinite strike on January 18, following the expiration of a 21-day and 14-day ultimatums earlier issued to the state government. But the Edo State Government had, in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, on Friday approved February 1, 2020, for the resumption of full academic a...
Zlatan Ibrahimovic denies using racist language in on-field spat with Romelu Lukaku in derby clash
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has denied all allegations of using racist abuse during his on-field clash with Romelu Lukaku in the Coppa Italia match between Inter and AC Milan on Tuesday evening. The attackers squared up to each other at half-time, trading verbal blows and ultimately being cautioned by referee Paolo Valeri. Lukaku came out on top in the end, scoring the equaliser in a 2-1 win for the Nerazzurri, while Ibrahimovic was shown a second yellow in the second half and was given his marching orders. The dust has far from settled in the wake of the spat, however, as pitch-side microphones picked up the heated conversation between Lukaku and Ibrahimovic, with the latter reportedly calling the former a “donkey” and telling him to go do his “voodoo sh*t”, among other things. The voodoo referenc...
Imo workers oust state NLC chairman
Workers in Imo State have kicked out the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Austin Chilakpu, after a resolution reached on Monday at the meeting the workers held at the state secretariat in Owerri. A caretaker committee led by Ndubuisi Uchehara was set up to manage the affairs of the union pending a legitimate election. Addressing reporters shortly after his emergence as the caretaker committee chairman, Uchehara said that the past administration was dissolved for constantly waging war against the Imo State Government which he said caused an unhealthy relationship between the union and the government. ‘The past administration was recalcitrant to issues of the workers in the state, they have continued to fight the State Government instead of partnering with it, their actio...
UNICAL to resume 2019/2020 academic session February 5
The University of Calabar will resume its 2019/2020 academic year on February 5. The University Senate on Monday approved the revised academic calendar for 2019/2020 session. This announcement was made through the university’s twitter handle. Students are to resume on February 5 while lectures will begin on February 8. The University had announced on Friday that only staff (Teaching and non-Teaching) of the University were to resume work on Monday. The Vice Chancellor, Florence Obi, disclosed that the date was picked to allow management carry out repairs in some of the hostels that had been destroyed and vandalized in the violence that tailed the #EndSARS protests in the state. In October, newsmen reported that the University of Calabar was broken into. Banks within the school premises wer...
Rangers forward Israel Abia wins Eunisell Boot award
Enugu Rangers forward Israel Abia has emerged winner of the prestigious Eunisell Boot Award for the top scorer in the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League season. Instituted by Eunisell, West Africa’s largest independent chemical as well as oil and gas engineering solutions company, the Eunisell Boot seeks to instill greatness in players in the domestic top flight and celebrate their success story. Abia scored 12 goals last season after featuring for Sunshine Stars as well as Rangers and becomes the fourth player to win the glamorous award. After scoring seven goals at Akure based Sunshine during the first half of the season, he made an ambitious switch to the Enugu based side and registered five goals to continue his magical season, last term. A lot was expected from the forward, ...
Court fixes date to hear suit seeking to oust ex-Speaker Dogara from House over defection to APC
Twitter The Federal High Court, Abuja, will, on February 4, hear a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asking for the declaration of the seat of Rep Yakubu Dogara vacate on account of his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Justice Okon Abang fixed the date on the grounds that it was not convenient for the court to take the matter. Newsmen report that while the PDP and its Bauchi State Chairman, Hamza Akuyam, are the plaintiffs, Dogara, who was the immediate-past Speaker, House of Representatives; the speaker of the House; the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF); Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC are 1st to 5th defendants respectively in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1060/2020. NAN reports that Dogara, who represents Dass, Tafawa Bal...
Abia government begs teachers to resume classes
Nigeria Union of Teachers Abia State Government has called on members of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to return to classes in the interest of their students and pupils. Teachers in the state schools system had penultimate week given the government one week to clear areas of salaries and other entitlements owed them, failure which they would embark on industrial action. In a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, government said primary and junior secondary school teachers have received salary up to November 2020, leaving only December as outstanding. He said the state government paid three months salary to secondary school teachers in December 2020 as part of efforts to clear backlogs owed them with a promise to pay at least anot...
Ahmadu Bello University announces date for resumption
The management of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in Kaduna State, has fixed Monday, January 25th, 2021 as the date for the reopening of the institution for academic activities. However, the Director of Public Affairs of the ABU, Mallam Auwal Umar, said in a statement that the resumption date was subject to review by the Federal Government. The statement titled, ‘Ahmadu Bello University fixes January 25 for reopening,’ said the resumption date was approved by the Senate of the University at its 501st (Special) Meeting on Tuesday The statement read, “The 2019/2020 academic session would be completed based on the adjusted calendar as approved by the Senate. “The decision to reopen the University followed the suspension of ASUU strike, and the directive by National Universities Commission...
