Leaders
FCTA bans farming activities, illegal markets on airport expressway
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has banned farming activities, street trading and illegal motor parks on fringes of the Umar Musa Yar’adua Expressway, leading to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, made this known when he led management team of the administration, political leaders and some traditional rulers to inspect various developments on the road axis on Friday in Abuja. Bello, who frowned at the bizarre conducts of residents constituting nuisance to the public, stated that no resident or organisation would be allowed to carry out any illegal activity on a major road leading into the nation’s capital city. He noted that while residents were encouraged to engage in legitimate economic activities to mitigate poverty and cont...
Paris Saint-Germain wait for Neymar to sign contract extension
Paris Saint-Germain were revelling in the joy of knocking holders Bayern Munich out of the Champions League in midweek when Neymar offered more cause for celebration. In an interview with Brazilian broadcaster TNT Sports following PSG’s away-goals victory in the quarter-finals, Neymar dropped a clear hint that he would be staying at PSG beyond the end of his current contract. “For me there is no debate, it is obvious that I feel very comfortable here and at home at Paris Saint-Germain. I feel happier than I did before,” the world’s most expensive player said. His current contract, signed following his arrival from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($264m) in 2017, runs out at the end of next season, at the same time as Kylian Mbappe’s deal. It has been reported in France since the Bayern gam...
Coronavirus: Nigeria has vaccinated over 1 million people – NPHCDA
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that Nigeria had so far vaccinated over a million eligible people out of its target of 70 percent of the nation’s population. The NPHCDA disclosed this on its official Twitter handle, on Thursday. Newsmen report that for the country to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, it had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022. The country kicked off vaccination on March 5, 2021, commencing with healthcare workers who are mostly at risk to the infections, being the first responders. It noted that the vaccine roll-out would be in four phases, starting with health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, l...
Court restrains ALGON faction, others from interfering in association’s affairs
An Abuja Federal High Court has restrained the chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Alabi Akolade David-led faction of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) from parading its as the leaders of the association. The court also ordered the faction from taking all further action, steps, proceedings and assembly, relating to the conduct of of ALGON’s General Assembly slated for March 24, 2021, or any other day during the pendency of the suit. Other parties restrained by the court order include the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, Inspector General of Police and one Mrs Binta Abdullahi Bello from interfering in the affairs of ALGON. The order followed the adoption of a motion ex-parte deposed to by Mohammed Inulin Abubakar on b...
CSOs threaten to occupy National Assembly over Electoral Act amendment
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations has threatened to occupy the National Assembly after Ramadan fasting, if the lawmakers fail to pass the Bill for an amendment of the Electoral Act. The CSOs which include Center For Liberty, Concerned Nigeria, The Electoral Hub, and Raising New Voices Initiative, issued the threat at a joint news conference on Thursday in Abuja. The Co-convener, Centre for Liberty, Mr Dare Ariyo-Atoye, who read the joint speech of the CSOs, said they were worried that the 9th National Assembly was yet to pass the bill. According to him the passage of the bill could have given them lasting legacies and written their names in gold. Ariyo-Atoye said that in the last 15 months, CSOs had consistently engaged lawmakers and appealed to the NASS to make the passage of a n...
Afe Babalola seeks sweeping reforms in judicial system
File Photo Senior Advocate and founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, has made case for urgent far-reaching reforms in the country’s judicial system particularly in the area bothering on the retirement of judges and aftermath. Babalola also reiterated the need to change the structure of the country, saying, “It is restructuring that would enable each state to curb insecurity, unemployment, poverty, defective justice system and do away with failed leaders. The ABUAD founder, who spoke during the virtual book launch in honour of retired Supreme Court justice, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, which he chaired, said, “The only change that can change the country for the better and pave way for the enhancement of one Nigeria is the change that changes the structure of Nigeria. “It is ...
Ramadan: House deputy governor urges muslims to pray for Nigeria
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, has urged Muslim Ummah to use the Holy Month to pray for the peace, security and development of Nigeria. In a congratulatory message to mark the commencement of this year’s Ramadan, the Deputy Speaker implored Muslims to follow and apply the teachings of Prophet Muhammad in their relationship with both Muslims and non-Muslims neighbours. He said: “We should remember to cater for the less-privileged in our midst, stay humble and abstain from all bad deeds. As Ramadan begins, I wish to felicitate with all Muslims for witnessing yet another season of spiritual significance. I enjoin you to use the sacred holy month of Ramadan to pray for our dear nation against the current spate of killings, kidnappings, banditry and o...
House speaker: Local council autonomy not for National Assembly to address
Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that the issue of local government autonomy is not for the National Assembly to address. Gbajabiamila said this during a two-day leadership capacity training, organised by the Minority Leader of the House, Mr Ndudi Elumelu, for ward councillors from Delta, on Monday in Abuja. He said that since the process of constitutional amendment was ongoing and the areas of possible amendments thrown open, it was for Nigerians to decide whether to have local government autonomy or not. “We did it the last time but when we went back to the states, we could not get the required two-thirds. So it is a process and we have followed the process. “While we were working on constitutional amendment, two-thirds of the states did not agree with us....
Kaduna monarch: Nigerian politicians are greedy opportunists
The emir of Birnin Gwari, Malam Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari II, has lashed out on Nigerian politicians whom he described as greedy opportunists. The monarch made the comment in Kaduna during the North-West Conference on the State of the Nation and contemporary challenges in Nigeria organised by Arewa Research and Development Project ARDP and Savanah Center. He said some politicians have capitalised on illiteracy and poverty among the people to attain power. “I have said it on so many occasions and so it’s easy for me now to repeat what I have said before. Why do we have failure in politicians running state, local and federal governments? I traced the problem to who we consider as politicians in our localities. “If you go to every part of the country those who call themselves politicians, stak...
Pep Guardiola reacts as Leeds defeat Manchester City at Etihad
Pep Guardiola has said that City’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Leeds should not detract from the incredible achievements his side has accomplished this season. The Premier League leaders suffered a last-gasp defeat to Leeds at the Etihad Stadium, falling to Stuart Dallas’ injury-time strike. However, the defeat marked only City’s second loss in their last 36 games (with City winning 27 of our last 29) a feat Guardiola says should not be diminished by one result. “What happens when you lose games is that you realise how difficult what we have done so far is,” he said. “You realise how difficult it is to win 27 in 29 games. “We need points still because our opponents can win more points – but we have three finals. “I have incredible confidence with the guys. Defeat sometimes is necessary to...
Reports: Governments ‘gender blind’ to coronavirus’ ‘greater impact’ on women
Governments are putting women and girls at greater risk of the health and socio-economic impacts posed by the coronavirus pandemic, two global studies released Wednesday show. They called on leaders to prioritise gender equity in their response to the health crisis. Two studies, one from a global research partnership led by the Global Health 50/50 Project in London and another by the Center for Global Development (CGD) in Washington, were released Wednesday to coincide with World Health Day that highlight major failings by national governments to consider sex or gender in their COVID-19 policies. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, several studies have pointed to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women. Many women have shouldered a heftier burden taking on more unpa...
OPC berates ex-COAS for equating group with Boko Haram
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) yesterday berated a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, for comparing the group with the terrorist organisation, Boko Haram. In a statement, the group’s newly-elected President, Mr. Wasiu Afolabi, said the former army chief displayed a dangerous level of mischief, prejudice and narrow-mindedness by equating what it termed a pro-democracy group like the OPC with a world-acclaimed terrorist organisation. Afolabi maintained that the comments by Dambazzau were an attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, insisting that the move will not work. “We shall not succumb to this cheap attempt at blackmail and negative profiling. OPC is not, has never been and will never be a terrorist organisation. Nobody should link us or lik...