Monday
Nigerian government deregisters Ohanaeze, Arewa CF, others over security clearance
The Federal Government has deregistered frontline socio-cultural groups in Nigeria as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has withdrawn the registration certificate of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), among others. Disclosing this in Abuja, the Registrar General of CAC, Garba Abubakar, said the measure was part of the reforms the Commission was putting in place to subject such applications to thorough scrutiny following security threats that may arise from such registrations. He said: “Yes, we have withdrawn the certificate of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly because the certificate should not have been issued in the first instance. “We have an established protocol that all organizations; ethnic, religious with political implication should be referre...
Nigerian government extends Phase 2 lockdown by 1 week
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has extended the phase two lockdown by one week from the initial one month extension. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the PTF-COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, revealed this at the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja. “The PTF has continued to evaluate the developments as well as the level of compliance nationwide. “(It) has regrettably come to the inevitable conclusion that majority of Nigerians irrespective of status, creed and level of education continue to live in denial on the virulent nature of the virus and consistently breach the guidelines and non-pharmaceutical measures put in place. “We informed you two weeks ago that the process of submitting the 6th Interim Report and recommendations for next step...
Governor Akeredolu: I’Il win Ondo governorship election
Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has expressed optimism that he would win the Oct. 10, governorship poll, under the All Progressives Congress (APC). Akeredolu said this shortly after meeting with the APC Election Appeal Committee at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday. He advised the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Eyitayo Jegede, to focus on issue based campaign without resorting to violence. “Jegede is my friend. We are colleagues and both members of inner bar, I don’t have anything against him and I just pray that our campaign should be issue based without violence. “I know that he (Jegede) knows that it will not be easy for him. Yes, it may not be easy for me to win, but by God’s grace, I am going to win. “I can assure you that as it was in the b...
Nigeria announces closure of Air Peace evacuation of nationals from UK
The Nigerian High Commission in the UK has announced the closure of Air Peace Evacuation flight from that country scheduled for Aug. 8, as all seats on the aircraft are fully booked. The High Commission disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja. The High Commission advised prospective evacuees who are yet to make payment not to do so and necessary arrangements are being made for alternative flights. “Further to the notice of July 25, 2020, the High Commission wishes to inform that the evacuation flight scheduled for Aug. 8, 2020 is now fully booked and seats are no longer available. “In this regards, all prospective evacuees who have not already made payments for the flight are strongly advised not to do so. “The Mission will endeavour to make necessary arr...
Stakeholders commend government’s decision to reopen school for exit classes
Stakeholders in education have commended the Federal Government’s decision made at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting to reopen school on Aug. 4 for exit classes. Newsmen report that they made this known in Ibadan on Monday in separate interviews. Kayode Adeyemi, the President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Oyo State (NAPPS), said that the decision was a welcome development given the prevailing circumstances. Adeyemi said with the level of learning loss occasioned by the lockdown was a good decision, adding that children would not be too backward because of the holiday. “I still remain cautious about the release though it’s from a stakeholders’ forum. I just hope that the ministry of education will not come up to say that they are not prepared again. “This is ...
UN suspends another employee over alleged viral sex video
The United Nations says it has identified and placed on administrative leave without pay another staff member involved in a recent viral sex video in Israel. Mr Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, disclosed this during the daily news briefing held virtually on Monday Haq said: “A third male international staff member who was in the UN vehicle in Tel Aviv has also been identified as having engaged in alleged misconduct. “The staff member has been placed on Administrative Leave Without Pay, pending the results and conclusion of the ongoing OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) investigation.” On July 2, the UN announced the suspension of two employees involved in the video, which went viral on social media in late June. The video showed a couple allegedly having se...
China takes over closed US consulate in Chengdu
The American flag was lowered at the US consulate in China’s Chengdu city on Monday and Chinese authorities entered the building, as Beijing carried out a Cold War-style retaliatory closure of the mission. Earlier in the morning state broadcaster, CCTV showed footage of the flag being lowered, after diplomatic tensions soared between the two powers with both alleging the other had endangered national security. Beijing later confirmed the consulate had closed at 10am (0200 GMT). “Afterwards, Chinese authorities entered through the front entrance and took it over,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. Relations have deteriorated in recent weeks in an intensifying standoff, with the Chengdu mission Friday ordered to shut in retaliation for the forced closure of Beijing’s consulate in Hou...
Resident doctors threaten fresh strike August 17
The National Association of Resident Doctors has given the Federal Government three weeks to address its demands or its members would resume their suspended strike on Monday, August 17, 2020. While demanding the payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance to members which, it said, was long overdue, NARD called on government and the National Assembly to probe the non-enrolment of healthcare workers for the Group Life Insurance and non-payment of death-in-service benefit to the next-of-kin of its fallen heroes, despite claims of payment to insurance companies. The President of NARD, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, made this known in Abuja on Saturday while reading to journalists a communique issued after its virtual National Executive Council meeting and scientific conference held at the Gombe International Hot...
Third Mainland Bridge: We’re observing traffic situation – commissioner
Getty Images Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Frederic Oladeinde, has said the true test of road user compliance with the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge would be accessed on Monday. Oladeinde made this disclosure Saturday in a chat with newsmen while he monitored traffic situation on the bridge. The bridge partial closure of the bridge started on Friday, July 24, 2020 and it is expected to last six months – until Sunday, July 24, 2021. The commissioner, who said the government is observing traffic situation, said, “This is the first day, I think the true test will be Monday but we have Saturday and Sunday to observe the situation and put out the signs. “If people know where to go, compliance is a 100 per cent but if they do not know where to go, that’s where the p...
US judge orders release of Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen from prison
Agence France-Presse A United States (US) judge ordered the release from prison of President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, on Thursday, saying he believes the government retaliated against him for planning to release a book about Trump before November’s election. Michael Cohen’s First Amendment rights were violated when he was ordered back to prison on July 9 after probation authorities said he refused to sign a form banning him from publishing the book or communicating publicly in other manners, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said during a telephone conference. Hellerstein ordered Michael Cohen released from prison by 2 p.m. on Friday. “How can I take any other inference than that it’s retaliatory?” Hellerstein asked prosecutors, who insisted in court pap...
President Buhari, others honour Isa Funtua as FEC meeting begins
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, led other members of the Federal Executive Council to honour his late ally, Isa Funtua, with a minute silence as the council’s weekly meeting started. Although the meeting is virtual, some members are joining Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja from where he is presiding while others are attending virtually from their offices. At the commencement of the meeting, after the recitation of the National Anthem, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, called for a minute silence in honour of the late Funtua, who died on Monday. Funtua, the founding Managing Director of The Democrat Newspaper and former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, was a minister in the Second Republic...
Gunmen kill traditional ruler, nine others in Kaduna
Gunmen have killed the traditional ruler of Gora Gan village in Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State and nine others on Monday. The killings happened 24 hours after some youths were killed during a wedding ceremony in Kukum Daji village of Kaura Local Government. This was even when the leaders of the two warring groups have resolved to end the killings by committing themselves to a peace deal. Apart from the Village Head who was killed by the marauders, a six-year-old boy it was learnt was among victims of the latest attack, which also left many villagers wounded. Narrating the latest attack in an interview, the Vice Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Zango Kataf, Professor Isaac Ango said the gunmen invaded the village around 7.10 pm on Monday and started...
