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House of Reps allays fear of possible spread of coronavirus inside NYSC orientation camps
The House of Representatives Committee on Youths Development on Tuesday allayed the fear of the possible spread of COVID-19 in the orientation camps of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently in progress across the country. The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Yemi Adaramodu, while speaking with newsmen shortly after the oversight visit of the committee to the Nasarawa State NYSC camp at Keffi declared that there was no cause for concern as being envisaged in some quarters. The member representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1, Ekiti State under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) stated that the committee was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that there was no need to entertain any fear of the possible spread of COVID-19 at the orientation camps based on th...
PTF: Nigeria has over 100 molecular laboratories
Nigeria can now boast of over 100 molecular laboratories for the testing of COVID-19 in the country, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), Boss Mustapha, has said. This is just as the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, flayed the non challant attitude of people in his home state, Kwara, to the pandemic. The SGF who spoke Tuesday at the commissioning of State House Clinic Special Care Centre (COVID-19 Isolation Centre) stated that the number of molecular laboratories grew from two last year to more than 100 as at today and are spread across the 36 states of the federation. His words: ‘‘From just two molecular laboratories for the testing of COVID-19 in Nigeria, we now have over 100 molecular laboratories, public and private, across the 36 States of the Feder...
Rivers governor seeks end to external influence on NDDC
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has regretted the continuous interference of external forces who are not from the oil-rich region on the activities of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, noting that the act frustrates programmes of the commission. Wike, however, condemned the posture of some ethnic groups in the region that behave as if the commission belongs to them, clarifying that NDDC was set up to cater for needs of the states of the region. The governor disclosed this in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, after the visit of the Interim Management Committee of NDDC to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday. The governor said people are abusing the entire region because the commission has wasted trillions of Dollars without lifting the mass...
Shkodran Mustafi joins Schalke from Arsenal
Arsenal’s squad trimming has continued, with Shkodran Mustafi joining Schalke on a deal until the end of the season. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said prior to the January transfer window that he was keen to trim some flab from his squad. Mesut Ozil has been the highest-profile departure, with the former Germany international joining Fenerbahce and in so doing the club cleared a sizeable chunk of wages from the monthly bill. Sokratis Papastathopoulos joined Olympiakos earlier this month after being released from his contract, William Saliba, Sead Kolasinac and Matt Smith have left on loan, while Matt Macey joined Hibernian on a permanent basis. World Cup winner Mustafi emerged as a possible departure towards the end of January, and he was linked with a shock move to Liverpool. Premier League ...
Atiku Abubakar: Nigeria needs urgent rescue
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared Nigeria is in dire need of urgent rescue. Nigeria, he said, has been badly damaged and broken. He decried the unbearable and alarming conditions Nigerians are living with, lamenting hunger was ravaging as farmers have deserted their farms for fear of being killed. These were contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by Hon. Oladimeji Fabiyi, who stood in for the Waziri Adamawa at the weekend in Gombe State during the inauguration of the leadership of the North-east zone of the Nigeria Youth Congress for Atiku. “The hunger in the Northern Nigeria and indeed the entire country is getting to an unbearable and alarming rate as our farmers, fathers and mothers can no longer go to farm. “Agriculture is one of the comparative advantages the Nort...
Manchester United boss seeks team’s cutting edge after Arsenal stalemate
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United’s forwards need to be more clinical after a 0-0 draw at an under-strength Arsenal dealt a second setback to their Premier League title challenge in four days. United threw away top spot with a shock 2-1 defeat by bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United in midweek and are now three points adrift of league leaders Manchester City having played a game more than their local rivals. The quartet of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes have now scored just once in United’s last five league games. Cavani was the biggest threat for the visitors with two second-half efforts that flew just wide, but Arsenal were worthy of at least a point despite missing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney. “We come awa...
Bishop Kaigama: It’s time to give youths chance in governance
The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, His Grace Ignatius Kaigama, has said time has come for youths to take active part in governance. Kaigama, who insisted that “it is the right time now to give our youths a chance to express their leadership skills”, tasked authorities to expand the political space to allow more youths involved in decision making. Kaigama particularly advised Nigerian youths to seize the opportunity to bring to an end, decades of recycling political leaders by taking up leadership positions in the country. Speaking Saturday, during the 9th convocation lecture of Veritas University, Abuja,where he is the Chancellor, Kaigama said:”Recent events in our country show that there is the urgent need to expand the political space and allow our youths to be more inv...
Mikel Arteta: Arsenal, Manchester United electrifying moments no longer exist
Electrifying moments that always followed Arsenal, Manchester United matches are gradually fading away, according to Gunners boss, Mikel Arteta. Arteta spent five years as an Arsenal player and never featured on the winning side against United. But all the old animosities had gone by then and today’s encounter at an empty Emirates is sure to be played out in relative peace. Arteta admits: “It’s not only the Arsenal and Manchester United fixtures which have calmed down. “If you look at the way all the derbies used to get played, it’s not the same right now. “The game is evolving and we are educating the players in a different way. “For sure they are not allowed to get away with some of the things they used to do 20 years ago and with VAR that’s even less. “The game is much more controlled a...
Senate moves to push retirement age of Supreme Court justices to 75 years
The Senate is putting in place measures to push for the retirement age of Supreme Court Justices in the nation’s apex court from the age of 70 to 75 years. According to the Senate, it is considering the proposal made to it by the Supreme Court March this year, 2021. Speaking today in Abuja during the Senate Constitution Review Committee Retreat to Review and Analyse Submitted Memoranda, Deputy President of the Senate Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, All Progressives Congress, APC, Delta Central said that the upper Chamber will in March consider the proposal of shifting the retirement age of Supreme Court Justices from 70 to 75 years and the retirement age for judges of the states, including that of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and the Federal High Courts to bring in about parity with the 70 y...
Ondo governor: Our people cannot continue to live in fear
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has declared that the people of the state can not continue to live in fear arising from the cases of kidnapping, robbery, and other criminal activities recorded in the state. Akeredolu said this while receiving the newly posted Assistant Inspection-General of Police for Zone 17, headquartered in Akure, Isaac Akinmoyede, and the new Brigade commander of the 32 Artillery, Owena Catonement, Brig. Gen. Raymond Utsaha. He urged the new AIG and brigade commander to collaborate with other security agencies in the state for optimum performance. According to him” insecurity can be tackled in a different way when there are collaborative efforts. ” We have great challenges. We need all hands on deck. Our challenges are enormous. Top of it is the issue of kidnap...
APC welcomes appointment of new service chiefs
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that the new service chiefs will consolidate on the remarkable achievements of their predecessors in keeping the country safe and peaceful. President Muhammadu Buhari had Tuesday sacked the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. He replaced them with Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, Chief of Air Staff. The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, in a sta...
Lagos chamber projects positive economic recovery by Q2
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has projected a return to positive growth path for the Nigerian economy in the second quarter of 2021. Mrs Toki Mabogunje, President, LCCI, addressing journalists at the first edition of the chamber’s quarterly news conference, said the projection was subject to the absence of major economic shocks. Mabogunje, however, said that the projected recovery was expected to be subdued within the region of one per cent. “Projections by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund put Nigeria’s annual average growth for year 2021 at 1.1 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively. “Expectation of slow growth momentum reflects the lingering effects of the pandemic on the Nigerian economy and prospects of stricter containment measures considering th...
