The Kogi State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Senator Dino Melaye, engaged in a altercation with former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, at the PDP North Central Zone leadership meeting on Wednesday. In a post on his X handle on Thursday, Melaye stated that the confrontation stemmed from Ortom’s declaration of support for President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, ahead of the 2027 election. Melaye wrote, “Why will Ortom attend a PDP meeting after declaring support for Tinubu in 2027. Hence, my altercation with him at the PDP North Central Zone leadership meeting.”…
Author: GuruTrends
In a major victory against terrorism, Nigerian Army troops have successfully overrun a Boko Haram/Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) stronghold in Borno State. The intense offensive is part of Operation Desert Sanity III, involving a combination of artillery and air bombardments, as well as ground battle along Ngumne, Kawaran, and Mangu Axis in the Sambisa Forest and Timbuktu Triangle. Despite facing threats of improvised explosive devices and resistance from the terrorists, troops engaged them with heavy firepower, rooting out the terrorists from their stronghold. As a result of the successful operation, the gallant troops recovered vital armaments and…
Rights monitors warn Taliban authorities have been cracking down on media freedoms since their return to power in 2021 as they enforce an austere vision of Islamist rule. Ministry of Information and Culture spokesman Khubaib Ghufran said the “Barya” and “Noor” TV channels had been suspended on Tuesday for failing to abide by “journalistic principles”. “They had programmes creating confusion among the public and their owners are abroad,” he told AFP. “The media violation commission suspended their operations.” He said “their owners have even taken stands as opponents” of the Taliban government and “until their owners come here, and answer…
The World Health Organization voiced alarm Thursday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate. “This remains I think an enormous concern,” the UN health agency’s chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters in Geneva. The current bird flu outbreak began in 2020 and has led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry, with wild birds also infected as well as land and marine mammals. Cows and goats joined the list last month — a surprising development for experts because they were not thought susceptible to this…
Former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello’s media office, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of abusing prosecutorial powers following an attempt to get him arrested on Wednesday. In a statement by his media office on Thursday, Bello described the EFFC’s onslaught against him, as “nothing but a desperate political witch-hunt” of the immediate past governor of Kogi State. “The attention of the Media Office of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has again been drawn to another chapter in the series of the ongoing persecution of the former Governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. “Having…
He stated this on Wednesday in Washington DC where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings. Cardoso said $600m came into Nigeria’s reserves account within the last two days. The naira has appreciated against the dollar in recent weeks, gaining over 40%, from about N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1 now. But while the naira rebound, Nigeria’s foreign reserves are dwindling, dropping to about $32.29 billion on April 15 — the lowest level in over six years. Cardoso said, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where for example,…
QNET, a global lifestyle and wellness-focused direct-selling company, has reiterated its commitment to fighting against fraudulent activities in Nigeria. This is even as the lifestyle company has worked with relevant authorities to apprehend a fraudster who was using its name to carry out out fraudulent activities in Nigeria. Recall that recently, there were reports of fraudulent activities being carried out in the name of QNET CSR arm, RYTHM Foundation. An individual had set up an office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in the name of the RYTHM Foundation and was using online ads to offer jobs in the foundation. The…
Brazilian legend and World Cup winner, Romário de Souza Fari (Romario), has announced his return to professional football 15 years after he hung his boots. The 58-year-old has signed for America-RJ, a second-division club playing in the second division of the football league system in Rio de Janeiro. The former Barcelona and Valencia PSV Eindhoven forward will play for the Brazilian club in the second division of the Carioca Championship, which begins in May. Romario has been serving as America RJ president since 2009, and he was elected senator for Rio de Janeiro in 2014. In a video on Instagram announcing his…
The National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has reacted to the order of a Kano State High Court which affirmed the suspension of its National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, describing it as a nullity. The development came on Wednesday as Ganduje received the APC Ward Executives from his Ganduje Ward in Kano State, who were at the national secretariat of the party to affirm their confidence in him. Addressing the ward executives, Ganduje said those who purportedly suspended him were impostors. Also speaking, National Legal Adviser of the Party, Prof. Abdulkarim Kana said the Kano…
…13,000mw for 20O,000 MW demand unacceptable …says Nigeria has lowest per capita wattage in the world The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has bemoaned the perennial power situation in the country. He said the collapse of the national grid a record 141 times in 11 years calls for urgent pragmatic solutions. Obi noted that Nigeria has only 13,000 MW, while the demand is about 200,000 MW. He explained that even with the 13,000 MW, only about 3,500 MW is available for homes and businesses, noting that the situation places Nigeria as having the lowest per…
DETERMINED to amicably resolve the lingering ethnic tension over the amended Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Law, Governor Umo Eno has conceded to the principle of rotation for the position of President-General, Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, which the new law disallowed. Eno, according to a statement yesterday signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Ekerete Udoh, who made his position on the matter known during another truce meeting he held with the Paramount Rulersat the State Executive Council Chambers, government House Uyo on Tuesday. He assured the Paramount Rulers at the meeting of his government’s readiness to work with…
Benjamin Netanyahu has told UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron that Israel would “make its own decisions” over how to respond to an Iranian attack. He said his government would “do everything necessary to defend itself” during talks the British government had hoped would help prevent escalation. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to retaliate to the unprecedented missile and drone assault at the weekend. Lord Cameron told him any response should be “smart” and limited. Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem after the meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Lord Cameron said he was there to “demonstrate our solidarity” after Iran’s “appalling” attack. He…
Heavy rain has been battering Gulf states, causing flash floods that have killed 20 people and disrupted flights at the world’s second-busiest airport. Dubai Airport said it was facing “very challenging conditions” on Wednesday. It advised passengers not to turn up as runways were inundated with water. Further north, a man died when his car was caught in flash floods. In Oman, rescuers found the body of a girl in Saham, bringing the death toll in the country to 19 since Sunday. Authorities also warned that more thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds were forecast, with many low-lying areas still…
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has said that President Bola Tinubu is committed to the closure of the acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from ExxonMobil by indigenous energy company, Seplat Energy. Lokpobiri said this on Tuesday at the Facts Behind the Figures Presentation of Seplat Energy to mark a decade of its listing on the Nigerian Exchange. MPNU is ExxonMobil’s Nigerian offshore shallow water business and holds gas as well as oil reserves. A $1.28bn pre-purchase agreement was signed between Seplat and ExxonMobil in February 2022, plus a contingent payment of up to $300m. The…
The Niger Delta Development Commission has completed the construction of an electricity injection sub-station in Amufi-Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, Benin City, Edo State. NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, disclosed this in a release on Monday. He said the sub-station would be inaugurated and handed over to Benin Electric soon. During a recent inspection of the 1×15mva 33/11kv electricity project, NDDC’s Executive Director of Projects, Victor Antai, expressed satisfaction with the completion status. He emphasised the critical role of the substation in meeting the energy demands of communities in the vicinity. He expressed the ambitious goal of transitioning…
Actor Hugh Grant has settled a privacy case against the publisher of the Sun newspaper, saying he could have faced a bill of up to £10m even if he had won. The star was suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), claiming journalists had used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house. He said he “did not want to accept” the “enormous sum of money” he had been offered to settle – but that a trial was likely to prove “very expensive”. NGN denied the claims against it. The company said the undisclosed settlement was reached “without admission of…
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has directed an indefinite suspension of mining activities at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital university, and environs pending the conclusion of investigations into suspected illegal mining. The minister disclosed this in his office on Tuesday, after a meeting with OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adebayo Bamire, and the Chief Medical Director of OAUTHC, Prof. John Okeniyi, at the ministry headquarters in Abuja. The minister in a statement signed by his Special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, said the ban followed several complaints by students and residents on the activities…
The Champions Women Entrepreneurs Mentoring Association has described effective leadership and mentorship as catalysts to propel women entrepreneurs to success. The association stated this during a recent capacity-building workshop for women entrepreneurs in Lagos Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network, Angela Ajala, emphasised the importance of networking platforms and opportunities. She disclosed that networking had helped many entrepreneurs through access to training, resources, knowledge, and skills. In his submission, a certified expert in organisation development, Noruwa Edokpolor, noted that leadership skills require the capacity to inspire, influence, and guide individuals and…
Apparently worried by the country’s dwindling oil revenue, the Federal Government says it has concluded plans to take over all idle oil wells from operators holding on to them. The government also threatened to revoke all licences given to individuals and companies that have refused to start oil exploration. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this on Monday evening at an event held in Lagos by The Petroleum Club. According to the minister, Nigerian has lost about $30bn to low oil production in the past two and half year. Earlier in his opening speech, the…
As Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) head into the much-anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday, a former national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus has urged party leaders to stop the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike’s continuous use of PDP to remain relevant in President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Secondus, in a statement by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, told PDP leaders that Wike’s busybody gimmick should not distract them from proving that no individual is bigger than the party, adding that the FCT minister is already drowning politically. The former PDP chairman stated this in an…