TIME
Abia government begs teachers to resume classes
Nigeria Union of Teachers Abia State Government has called on members of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to return to classes in the interest of their students and pupils. Teachers in the state schools system had penultimate week given the government one week to clear areas of salaries and other entitlements owed them, failure which they would embark on industrial action. In a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, government said primary and junior secondary school teachers have received salary up to November 2020, leaving only December as outstanding. He said the state government paid three months salary to secondary school teachers in December 2020 as part of efforts to clear backlogs owed them with a promise to pay at least anot...
Catholic priest kidnapped, murdered in Niger
A Catholic priest of the Diocese of Minna, Niger State, Rev. Father John Gbakaan Yaji, has been abducted and murdered by gunmen suspected to be armed bandits in the state. The incident was said to have happened on Friday night in Tufa village along Lambata-Lapai road axis of the state. The late clergyman was said to be returning from Lambata in Gurara local government area of the state where he had attended a religious meeting in conjunction with his colleagues when he was attacked. Newsmen gathered that the deceased was kidnapped along with his younger brother but as at the time of filing this report on Sunday, the whereabouts of the brother was yet unknown. Concerted efforts by our reporter to speak with the image-maker of the Niger State Police Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun for confirmatio...
Ex-Nigerian ambassador Bolere Ketebu passes on
Dr. Bolere Elizabeth Ketebu, former Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland is dead. She was 66 years old. Her death was made known by President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday. In a statement, Buhari condoled with the Ketebu family, the Bayelsa State government, as well as friends and professional colleagues of Dr Bolere Ketebu, The President said the former ambassador served her country creditably in several capacities. She was at one time President National Council of Women Societies, Secretary to Bayelsa State government and a member House of Representatives between 1992 and 1993. In September 2001, she was elected Advisor, Habitat to the International Council of Women (ICW). She was elected in 2003 as International Board Member to ICW, position she held till 2009. As a board member, she coordinated...
Official: Police free eight kidnap victims, arrest four suspects in Zamfara
The police in Zamfara have arrested four suspects over alleged killing of a Fulani herdsman. At a press conference in Gusau on Sunday, the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, said the police command also recovered 200 rustled cows following its steadfastness in crime fighting. He said some weapons were recovered and the command secured the release of no fewer than eight persons abducted three weeks ago. “We recovered no fewer than 200 stolen cows, five AK 47 rifles, three vehicles and a large number of ammunitions,” he said. According to the commissioner, the peace process being led by the state government has yielded huge results, including the unconditional surrendering of three 3 AK-47 rifles and 47 rounds of live ammunitions. “As a result of the ongoing peace engagement in Shinkafi Loc...
Wife of embattled FCMB chief denies leaving husband
The wife of the embattled Managing Director of the First City Monument Bank, Hauwa Adam Nuru, has shown solidarity with her husband, adding that she had never contemplated leaving him. Adam Nuru was made to proceed on leave as the FCMB MD to allow for an investigation into an alleged sex and paternity scandal involving a former female employee of the bank. Hauwa, in a statement, debunked reports that she left her husband, calling such reports malicious and deliberate falsehood. “I want to clarify for the avoidance of doubt that I am still very much with my husband. This fake news was published by an online newspaper in a calculated attempt to further demonise my beloved husband and a loving father,” she said. “Let me reiterate that at no time did I contemplate leaving my matrimonial home o...
Thousands of US-bound Honduran migrants cross border into Guatemala
<img width="696" height="391" class="entry-thumb" src="https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16201205-696×391.jpg" srcset="https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16201205-696×391.jpg 696w, https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16201205-300×169.jpg 300w, https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16201205.jpg 699w" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" alt="Thousands of Honduran migrants push through the police fence as they attempt to cross the border at El Florido in Guatemala forming the first migrant caravan of the year on it’s way to the United States on January 15, 2021. – Some 3,000 people left Honduras on foot January 15 in the latest migrant caravan hoping to find ...
PDP: Presidency’s ‘wait on God’ remark on insecurity admission of President Buhari’s failure
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has observed that the dismissive statement by the Presidency that Nigerians should ‘wait on God’ for solutions to the insecurity in the country is a direct admission of failure by President Muhammadu Buhari. Making this assertion in a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja on Saturday, the party noted that the remark has “shown clearly that the Buhari administration is completely helpless and has come to its wits end in governance; a development, which validates the position of majority of Nigerians that President Buhari is grossly incompetent and should step aside.” The PDP maintained that the presidency’s statement further goes to confirm that the Buhari’s administration has “outlived its usefulness, if it had any,...
Iran test-fires ballistic missiles on targets at sea
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards test-fired ballistic missiles against targets in the Indian Ocean as they wrapped up a two-day exercise, their official website reported Saturday. The missiles of “various classes” targeted “the enemy’s battleships and destroyed them from 1,800 kilometres (1,125 miles) away,” according to the Sepahnews website. The missiles were fired from central Iran at targets located in the northern Indian Ocean, the Guards said. A video released by state television showed two missiles being launched and targets being hit at sea. Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri was present on the second day of the drill, alongside Guards chief Major General Hossein Salami and aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh. “One of our major goals in...
Onyeka Onwenu: Fela wanted to marry me but …
Veteran singer and actor, Onyeka Onwenu, has revealed that the late Afro beat music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti approached her for marriage in the eighties. She however turned down his proposal during her visit to his club, ‘Kalakuta Republic’, because she was a possessive lover and did not want to be part of his harem Narrating how Fela proposed to her, Onyeka said, it was shortly after she had just returned from the United States. She had written an article in solidarity with him while he was in jail. He was arrested for attempting to travel with his band for a gig in London with the sum of 1,600 pounds for their hotel accommodation. At the time, carrying any amount of foreign currency was against one of the many decrees promulgated by the Buhari/Idiagbon military junta. After his releas...
AIG Yunana Babas dies two weeks to retirement
The Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of police in charge of Zone 8, Lokoja, Mr Yunana Babas, has died. The Acting Public Relations officer for the zone, Inspector Ruth Awi, confirmed his death to newsmen in Lokoja. She said that Babas, who was due for retirement in two weeks time died suddenly at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, at about 10:30 am on Jan. 14. She said that the late AIG was in the office on Wednesday, Jan. 13, to attend to his official duty up till afternoon and later left for his house without any sign of illness. Awi said that Babas later sent for the zones photographer to come to his house to come and take some photographs. Awi explained that the photographer came back to the office later to inform them that he could not take any photograph because the AIG took ill su...
AC Milan close to signing Fikayo Tomori on loan with buy option
Serie A leaders AC Milan are aiming to secure the loan signing of Fikayo Tomori from Chelsea with a buy option in the next few days, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano reports. The England international has hardly played for the west London giants this term and he has made only four appearances in all competitions. Blues boss Frank Lampard recently said that Tomori could be loaned out and the Rossoneri are currently the leading candidates to sign him. However, the Serie A leaders want to keep hold of Tomori for the long-term and they are hopeful of negotiating a buy option for the centre-back worth €30m. The Blues are yet to given the go-ahead for the proposed deal, but Romano reports that the 23-year-old is prioritising a move to Stefano Pioli’s side. Tomori had a bright breakthrough seas...
Coronavirus takes toll on federal roads’ construction in Lagos
The ravaging effect of Coronavirus (COVID-19) was, perhaps, the biggest challenge faced by stakeholders in the road sub sector of the construction industry in 2020. As the virus gained ground, several contractors soon abandoned work and shut their operations, consequently, many hitherto gainfully employed Nigerians were thrown into the labour market. Even when the government later introduced partial lockdown measures, the number of workers on site was scaled down by many contractors in line with COVID-19 protocols, which slowed down progress of work. Virtually all road projects in Lagos State suffered the effect of the pandemic, with every project having its own peculiar challenge. The reconstruction of 46km Agbara-Seme section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project awarded to CGC Nigeria...
