Issues
Governor Fayemi hails Ooni on fifth coronation anniversary
The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has congratulated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, on his fifth coronation anniversary. The Governor said the foremost traditional ruler has been making very significant impact in the development of Yoruba land in particular and Nigeria in general since his ascension to the exalted throne. Fayemi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, hailed the Ooni for using his position to promote peace among the various ethnic nationalities in the country as well as working with relevant stakeholders and institutions to advance the socio- economic development of the people. Describing Ooni Ogunwusi as a vibrant, visionary and progressive monarch, the Governor noted that the Arole Oodua has always been in the forefr...
Kuwaiti opposition make gains in first parliamentary vote under new emir
Opposition candidates made gains in a parliamentary vote in Kuwait in which two thirds of MPs lost their seats and no women were elected, a result which analysts said could hamper government reform efforts to address a severe liquidity crunch. Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who took the reins in September following the death of his brother, had raised hopes of a detente between the ruling family and their critics in the perpetually deadlocked and fractious parliament. The final count carried on state media on Sunday showed that 31 new lawmakers had been elected to the 50-seat assembly, which is unusually outspoken for the highly authoritarian Gulf region. None of the 29 female candidates who stood in the election were successful. There was no official figure for turnout but local med...
Governor Oyetola: Yoruba believe in unity of Nigeria
The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Saturday said the Yoruba people are a nation of hospitable, accommodating and warm people who believe in the oneness of Nigeria. Oyetola, who fielded questions from international media organisations: BBC, Voice of America, DW News and Radio France, during the 29th edition of Owu International Conference, also lauded the Yoruba race for the role it is playing in fostering peace and unity in the nation. Commenting on the theme of the conference: “Harmony in Owu polity: A recipe for national unity,” Oyetola described the Yoruba race as a believer in the harmony and oneness of the nation, adding that the migration of other tribes to their territories and settlements is not an issue because they are accommodating and hospitable. Oyetola also comme...
Nigerian governors to meet with President Buhari to address security challenges
Governors of the thirty six states under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF have resolved to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to address the security challenges with continued cases of armed banditry, terrorism and kidnapping across the country. The governors are meeting with President Buhari especially to discuss last week’s gruesome beheading of about 43 Farmers in Zarbamari near Maiduguri, Borno State by Boko Haram Insurgents while they were working in their farmland without any form of resistance. The decision was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the 22nd NGF teleconference meeting. In a Communique signed by the NGF Chairman and Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said, ” Members of the forum resolved to meet with Mr. President as soon as possible to ad...
Dr. Anthony Fauci Answers Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions: ‘You Can Have An Informed Choice’
Right now, the United States has a reported 14 million COVID-19 cases, which is about 40,000 more cases than when the virus hit its first peak in the spring. And Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently said that the winter may be particularly dangerous and that by February 2021, the country could see up to 450,000 Americans dead from the virus, The New York Times reports. One key difference between now and the early months of the pandemic in the U.S. is that there are several vaccines on the horizon, with up to 40 million doses potentially available through pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna by the end of the year. Those would likely go to health care workers and residents of nursing homes, as recommended by a scientific panel this...
Senator Omo-Agege: Why National Assembly cannot produce new constitution for Nigeria
Deputy President of Senate Ovie Omo-Agege has declared that the National Assembly has no power to replace the current constitution with new one. Omo-Agege’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yomi Odunuga, in a statement on Wednesday said the deputy senate president made the remark when he hosted members of the Alliance of Nigerian Patriots led by Amb. Umunna Orjiako. Omo-Agege, who is Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, said the National Assembly had no powers to replace the current constitution, but could only amend it. He cited advanced democracies, such as the U.S., where Nigeria’s presidential system of government was modelled after and sections 8 and 9 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to buttress his argument. The lawmaker said what was only obtainabl...
Ogun governor presents N339 billion 2021 budget proposal
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, on Wednesday, presented a budget proposal of N339 billion for the 2021 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly, with N177 billion earmarked for capital expenditure. Newsmen report that the budget, christened “Budget of Recovery and Sustainability,” also has N162 billion proposed for recurrent expenditure. The governor said that an estimated N119 billion was projected as internally-generated revenue for the state, with statutory allocation expected to be N59 billion. He stated that capital receipt, which included internal and external loans as well as grants and aids, stood at N142 billion. The governor stated that personnel cost remained the largest single item of expenditure, adding as at Oct. 31, it accounted for 35.5 percent of the total government spending...
Quique Setien: Barcelona yet to inform me of sack
Former Barcelona coach Quique Setien claims the Catalans have not compensated him for his early dismissal, or even called to inform of his contract termination three months on. Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde in January signing on a contract until 2022 as the club hoped to reconnect with their philosophy of exciting, possession-based football. However, Setien’s time at Barça was marred with problems, from an apparently strained relationship with talisman Lionel Messi that reportedly spread to other members of the squad, to underwhelming results and performances on the pitch. The culmination of numerous issues at the club was the 8-2 humiliation by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final. The embarrassing result contributed to Messi’s desire to leave and effectively spelled the...
VP Osinbajo: We’ll do all it takes to secure Nigeria
The Muhammadu Buhari administration will not relent but will do all it takes, including putting new ideas on the table in order to secure the country, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said. The Vice President is on one-day official visit to Nasarawa State today and was accosted by reporters on his arrival in Lafia after he was received by Governor Abdullahi A. Sule. Below is the verbatim report of the Vice President’s response to the media: As the President said, these group of people have acted insanely in such a dastardly manner, killing innocent people, people who had gone to their farms to work. I spoke to the Governor, Governor Babagana Zulum and the former Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima to express my condolence, but more importantly, to try and think through ways of dealing with...
Central bank chief to engage governors on pension funds utilization for infrastructure
Bloomberg Mr Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank Governor, will tomorrow Wednesday, 2nd December 2020, meet with Governors of the 36 states, under the aegis of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, to discuss how to access Pension Funds for Infrastructure Development in the country. Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Head, Media and Public Affairs of NGF, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday. According to Bello-Barkindo, the forum will be the 22nd NGF Teleconference meeting which would also seek to evolve a new national security order that will ensure safety of lives and property nationwide. “As part of the effort, beginning at the subnational level, the Forum will be receiving zonal updates on SARS and Internal security at its Wednesday meeting. “Similarly, the Forum will also ...
Nigerian government seeks new Eurobond
The federal government yesterday disclosed that it would approach the Eurobond market next year in its effort to shore up the economy, amidst cocktails of measures being put in place to douse the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. On the same day, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, while speaking at the 55th Annual Bankers Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, predicted a two per cent growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021. Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed the Eurobond plan while speaking on Bloomberg TV, explained that the decision would depend on the prevailing interest rates. She, however, did not specify the amount to be accessed from the Eurobond. The Eurobond option is ...
Senator Lawan urges South Africa to secure business interests of Nigerians
President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan has urged the South African authorities to reciprocate Nigerian Government’s gesture by ensuring that business interests of Nigerians in South Africa are secured. Mr Ezrel Tabiowo, his Special Assistant on press, in a statement said lawan made the call in Abuja on Thursday when he received a delegation led by High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Mr Thamsanga Mseleku. Other members on the delegation include: Mr Bobby Moroe, Minister Plenipotentiary; and Ms Boipelo Lefatshe, First Secretary, Political. According lawan efforts by both countries to secure the business interests of their nationals would create better chances of employment for their citizens and guarantee stronger economic prospects for Nigeria and South Africa. “For quite some time n...
