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Washington denies Iran state media report saying prisoner swap agreed
The United States on Sunday denied a report by Iran’s state television that the arch-foes had reached a prisoner swap deal in exchange for the release of $7 billion frozen Iranian oil funds under U.S. sanctions in other countries. Iranian state television said on Sunday that Tehran would free four Americans accused of spying in exchange for four Iranians held in the United States and the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds. The U.S. government denied that an exchange was in the works. The state TV, quoting an unnamed Iranian official, also said British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be released once Britain had paid off a debt on military equipment owed to Tehran. A British Foreign Office official played down that report. Iran and world powers are holding talks ...
APC taunts PDP over ‘connivance’ with terrorists
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has disclosed ongoing high-level investigations to unravel those behind the growing wave of terrorism and other violent crimes across the country, expressing hope that at the end of the probe, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP would not be found to be sponsoring destabilizing elements ahead of the 2023 general elections. The APC stated this on Sunday in Abuja in a statement issued by the National Secretary of its Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe. APC was reacting to a statement by the PDP after its national caucus at the weekend to the effect that the country was fast descending into anarchy and that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has no solutions having been o...
Segun Adeniyi: Devolution of power alone can’t solve Nigeria’s problems
Nigerian Monitor The chairman of THISDAY editorial board, Olusegun Adeniyi, says devolution of power is not the only solution to Nigeria’s problems. Adeniyi said for it to be effective, devolution of power must come with accountability at all levels especially at the local government where administration “has been castrated”. He was speaking at ‘The Platform’, an annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, which was held in Lagos on Saturday. The seasoned journalist added that from past experience, closer government does not necessarily translate to better governance. “Today, there is hardly anybody in our country who is not angry about the situation in which we find ourselves. But nobody is accepting responsibility because the other person or the other ethnic group is to blam...
Norwich City seal Championship title finally at Carrow Road
Norwich City have clinched the Championship title on Saturday after coming from behind to defeat Reading 4-1 at Carrow Road. Daniel Farke’s dominant side had already sealed an immediate return to the Premier League with five matches to spare on April 17 and are now celebrating winning the second division for the second time in only three seasons. The trophy was guaranteed on Saturday as Kieran Dowell’s brace, a Xavi Quintilla free-kick and Teemu Pukki’s 26th goal of the campaign saw Norwich fight back from Josh Laurent’s early header to thump out-of-form Reading. The Canaries would have actually wrapped up the title on Saturday regardless of their own result after fellow promoted side Watford were beaten 2-0 at play-off hopefuls Brentford. At the other end of the table, the relegation batt...
President Buhari: We’ll defeat forces of evil, overcome current security challenges
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria will overcome all the current security problems and defeat the forces of evil marauding about in different parts of the country. The President’s assurance was contained in a statement issued Friday by the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd), at the end of the National Security Council meeting at the State House, Abuja. “At today’s meeting the President made it abundantly clear that while the insurgents, bandits and criminals are still at it, he has no doubt that the Nigerian Security agencies and all of us as a nation will certainly overcome all the current security problems and defeat the forces of evil marauding about in different parts of the country,” the NSA said in the statement. The N...
NSA: Why President Buhari adjourned security meeting
The National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), said the Security meeting on Friday was adjourned to Tuesday next week in order to receive further briefings from the Security Chiefs. The NSA in a statement he personally signed after the meeting said that the nation’s security apparatus was determined to decisively end the assault on the nation by criminal elements. The statement read: “Concerned about the persisting security challenges in parts of the country, Mr. President summoned a crucial meeting of the National Security Council today as he continues to frontally confront the situation inthe country. ”At today’s (Friday) meeting, the President made it abundantly clear that while the insurgents, bandits and criminals are still at it, he has no doubt that the N...
TRCN: Nigerian teachers becoming more competitive globally
Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), says Nigerian teachers are currently becoming more competitive globally. Ajiboye, disclosed this at the end of the opening of a one-day training workshop for Education Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (ECAN) on Friday in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. He noted that the narrative about the proficiency of Nigerian teachers had begun to change due to innovations being introduced to keep them at par with their counterparts globally. He said that unlike before those Nigerian teachers had to undergo a certain level of training abroad before being offered appointments, but now they were being offered jobs straight up. According to him, this is because the Federal Government is focusing more atte...
Minister dissolves board of sports federation, set up caretaker committee
Barely three months to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Minister of Youth and Sports Federation, Chief Sunday Dare, has dissolved all the boards of 31 National Sports Federations and set up caretaker committees to run the fairs of the federation. This was disclosed in a press statement on Friday in Abuja. Minister said the dissolution of boards of Federations was inline with the Olympic Charter which stipulates a four year tenure for all Sports Federations Boards, “In keeping with the Olympic Charter which stipulates a 4 year tenure for all Sports Federations Boards, the tenure of the National Olympic Sports Federations in Nigeria have come to an end. There is a need for a transition from the old Boards to the new one. “Within the last 4 years, a few of the National Sports Federations Boards ...
Nigeria’s president under fire over surging violence
With his country ensnared in mounting jihadist violence, bandit attacks and kidnappings, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is under fire from allies and enemies alike for appearing incapable of tackling the security crisis. April saw an almost daily toll of bloody assaults and abductions in Africa’s most populous nation. In the past week alone, at least 240 people have been killed and more than four dozen kidnapped, according to tallies by local media. The fatalities included 19 Fulani herders gunned down in southeastern Anambra state; five students in the northwest who were shot to death days after gunmen snatched them from their campus; 31 troops, slain in a jihadist ambush in the Lake Chad region; and nine police killed by cattle thieves in northwestern Kebbi state. Senators, local go...
EU releases last tranche of $14.5 million to assist Nigeria rollout coronavirus vaccine
The European Union has said $14. 5 million out of the €50 million promised to the Federal Government to assist in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccine would be released this week. The Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, who addressed newsmen yesterday in Abuja, revealed that already €9 million grant had been released to boost the prevention and response to Coronavirus in Nigeria. “The EU is taking the lead in supporting partner countries, including Nigeria, to tackle the tackle the COVID-19 pandemic by combining resources from the EU, its member states and European financial institutions, under the ‘Team Europe’ initiative. “At the onset of the pandemic in Nigeria, the EU rapidly mobilised €50 million grant in humanitarian aid was given to Nigeria to boost preventio...
Rivers governor imposes statewide curfew
Governor Nyesom Wike has imposed statewide curfew on Rivers based on the advice of the state security council. The Council gave the advice after an exhaustive deliberation at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday based on threats of attack on the State, Governor Wike said in a broadcast on Thursday. He said, ” Security Council has imposed Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed on the entire 23 Local Government Areas of the State prohibiting any human and or vehicular movement within or any part of the State from 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. from today 29th April 2021 until further notice.” The governor recalled that on 28th April 2021, the State Security Council, in consideration of the recent murderous attacks on security personnel in Ikwerre and Abua/Odual Local Government A...
NAPTIP chief seeks renewed regional collaboration against illegal migration, trafficking
The Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, as called for renewed regional collaboration against illegal migration and human trafficking. This was as he expressed sadness over the incessant mishap involving hundreds of irregular migrants on the Mediterranean Sea enroute Europe describing it as huge loss that could be avoided. She called stakeholders across the World and specifically in African to join hands with the Agency in its renewed efforts to scale up sensitization and awareness campaign as a way of remedying the situation. Mrs Suaiman Ibrahim, according to a statement, Wednesday, by Stella Nezan, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of NAPTIP, “made the call in Abuja while reacting to the recent human casual...
