Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Sunday said that Nigeria must act now, by taking necessary, and painful actions including adjustment to the proposed 2021 budget, to exit another recession the country has entered. Abubakar in a statement he issued in Abuja, said that although COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated an already bad situation, Nigeria could have avoided the second recession, within five years, by a disciplined and prudent management of the economy. “Be that as it may, it serves no one’s purposes to quarrel after the fact. “We must focus on solutions. Nigeria needs critical leadership to guide her back…
Author: Peters Okwudili
United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has acknowledged that his Democratic challenger Joe Biden won the November 3 presidential poll, but reiterated his claim that the vote was “rigged.” “He (Biden) won because the election was rigged,” Trump wrote on Twitter yesterday, not referring to Biden by name. But, former White House Adviser John Bolton has asked GOP leaders to go against Trump’s assertion that the winner of the 2020 election has not yet been decided. Biden overwhelmed Trump by winning a series of battleground states that the Republican incumbent won in 2016. The former vice president also won the…
Manuel Merino, President of Peru, has resigned following the death of two protesters. The deaths, which happened while people were protesting the sudden impeachment of his predecessor, Martin Vizcarra, sparked outrage in the country with calls for his resignation. Merino took power on Tuesday after legislators shocked the nation by voting to remove the popular former President, Vizcarra and then swore in Merino, who was the head of congress. On Sunday, in a video message to the country, Merino said, “I present my irrevocable resignation. I call for peace and unity of all Peruvians.” He added that he would now…
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated Americans for “a vibrant exercise of democracy” in the Nov. 3 U.S. general elections. In a statement by his spokesman, Mr Stephane Dujarric, on Monday, Guterres also congratulated the President-elect Joe Biden and the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. He said the partnership between the U.S. and the UN “is an essential pillar of the international cooperation needed to address the dramatic challenges facing the world today”. The UN was created after World War II at the instance of the U.S., which provides the largest financial contribution to the organisation’s overall budget. But the partnership…
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, hit out at his players following a 3-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday. The Gunners were favourites to win their home fixture, after beating Manchester United 1-0 last weekend. However, they went behind to Bukayo Saka’s own goal, before Ollie Watkins netted a second-half brace at the Emirates. It was Arsenal’s fourth defeat in eight matches and Arteta made no excuses for his side afterwards, but took full responsibility for the defeat. He said: “First of all congratulations to Aston Villa for the way they played and the victory. “After that obviously we perform below…
A political pressure group, Tinubu Solidarity Vanguard, has commended the American people and government on the recent victory of Mr Joe Biden in the presidential election, describing it as “a breath of fresh air.” Dr Johnny Ben, the Director-General of the group in a statement on Monday said that Biden’s victory at the poll provided new opportunities of greatness for America and it’s allies. He called on President Donald Trump to accept the outcome of the election in good faith so as to further sustain the American democratic culture. “The Democratic process of the United States of America on the just concluded presidential…
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) urged the Federal Government to leave the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as a condition to call off its ongoing strike in the country. Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President said this in a statement made available on Sunday in Abuja that the ongoing strike may still linger if government failed to meet its demand. ASUU had embarked a nationwide strike on March 23 to press on its demands which include revitalisation, Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, Visitation Panels, among others. According to Ogunyemi, Nigerians should bear with us.…
The Kaduna State government has urged residents of the state to turn out en masse and participate in the coronation ceremony of the new Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmad Bamalli. Bamalli is to be installed as the 19th emir of Zazzau on Nov. 9, at the Muhammadu Aminu Square, Race Course, GRA Zaria. Alhaji Ja’afaru Sani, Chairman of the Central Working Committee for the installation ceremony, made the call in a statement issued on Sunday in Kaduna. Sani, who is also the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said that arrangements had been concluded to facilitate smooth conduct…
Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, on Friday night said he had already started preparing for work as President of the United States. In a speech from Wilmington, Delaware, Biden reiterated that he would win the election, even with the counting of votes still ongoing. “We don’t have a final declaration of victory yet, but the numbers tell us it’s clear. We are going to win this race,” he stated. The former vice president said he and his running mate, Kamala Harris, were already meeting with experts as they prepare for the White House. As of the time of the speech, Biden’s…
Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro and forward Eden Hazard have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their La Liga clash at Valencia, the Spanish champions said on Saturday. “Our players Casemiro and Hazard have given positive results in the COVID-19 tests carried out on Friday morning,” Real said in a statement. The club said that all other first-team players and coaching staff, as well as the club employees who work directly with them, had returned negative tests. Real defender Eder Militao had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week and was forced to miss Tuesday’s 3-2 victory against Inter Milan in…
An accident, which involved a Mercedes Benz truck and a motorcycle near the Ota toll gate in Ogun, on Wednesday, has claimed a life. Mr Adekunle Ajibade, the Sango-Ota Area Commander of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that apart from the commercial motorcyclist who died, his two passengers sustained injuries in the accident which occurred on Ilo-awela road at about 8:10 p.m. He disclosed that the truck driver drove against the traffic and in the process hit the motorcycle which was coming from the opposite direction. “The corpse of…
United States President, Donald Trump, will demand a recount of votes in Wisconsin. His campaign has confirmed that the Republican candidate in the election will “immediately do so”. Bill Stepien, Trump 2020 campaign manager made the announcement in a statement. Stepien said despite “ridiculous public polling used as a voter suppression tactic, Wisconsin has been a razor-thin race as we always knew that it would be”. “There have been reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results. The President is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will…
Social media companies Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc on Monday outlined plans for placing warning labels on posts from U.S. election candidates and campaigns that claim victory in advance of official results. The moves come as social network platforms brace for what has been an unusual election cycle due to a high number of mail-in ballots that may cause a delay in final results. Beginning on election night through the inauguration, Twitter said it would place warning labels such as “official sources called this election differently”, or “official sources may not have called the race when this was tweeted”. Facebook…
The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said late Sunday that he was self-quarantining after someone he had been in contact with tested positive for COVID-19 but stressed he had no symptoms. “I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for #COVID19,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet. “I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with @WHO protocols, and work from home,” he added. Tedros has been at the forefront of the United Nations health agency’s efforts to battle the pandemic. which has claimed nearly 1.2 million…
The Minister of Youth and Sport Development, Mr Sunday Dare, has appealed to the youth to embrace dialogue in order to move the country forward. Dare said this on Sunday in Abuja at the maiden edition of the National Youth Day celebration with the theme ” Invest in the Youth, Secure Our Future”. He said that with the protests the country had witnessed in the past three weeks, there could be no better time than now to celebrate the youth and validate their contributions to national economic development. According to him, the Youth Day celebration is an opportunity to reflect,…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has queried the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, over alleged diversion of funds the Federal Government provided for COVID-19 palliatives. In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the party accused the minister and some Federal Government officials of cover-up in the alleged diversion of the funds. The Federal Government had, in the thick of the COVID-19 lockdown, released N500 billion and food items to the ministry to get palliatives to poor Nigerians to cushion the effects of the lockdown. The statement said: “The PDP is…
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has urged parents to instil family values in their children as a way to save the country from degeneration. The minister made the call on Saturday in Kaduna during a stakeholders’ engagement with 77 district heads, religious and community leaders from the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State. “We are calling the attention of parents that we have failed our children in the sense that the kind of values we use to have is no more. “We need to remind ourselves that our children need to be upright and that this…
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday that English Premier League (EPL) matches will continue during a month-long national lockdown starting next week. The return of the lockdown was to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Johnson had in an address said there was a need for a return to the lockdown measure as the pandemic was showing no signs of abating. (Reuters/NAN)
The Federal Government says it has no intention of shutting down social media. It said its plan is to regulate social media to be responsible and refrain from being a purveyor of fake news and hate speech. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the clarification on Saturday in Lagos when he inspected the headquarters of The Nation newspaper and TV Continental (TVC) that were attacked during the #EndSARS protest. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the minister was accompanied on the inspection by heads of parastatal agencies in his ministry. Speaking at the premises of…
US president, Donald Trump, has hailed the “courageous soldiers” who rescued an American hostage in Nigeria on Saturday. Philip Walton, 27, was seized by armed bandits on Monday, October 26. Walton was moved to a location in northern Nigeria where he was held. The Pentagon has confirmed that the operation was executed on Saturday. Trump tweeted: “Last night, our country’s brave warriors rescued an American hostage in Nigeria. “Our Nation salutes the courageous soldiers behind the daring nighttime rescue operation and celebrates the safe return of yet another American citizen!”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is confident his team will find the consistency they need, after their 3-0 victory at Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. Manchester City took control of Group C with six points from two games, leading FC Porto and Olympiakos by three points while OM are bottom of the table after two defeats. Guardiola’s side got off to a slugglish start in the English Premier League (EPL), sitting in 13th place with eight points from five games, five behind leaders Everton. The leaders have played one more match. “We have to accept…
A 28-year-old man, Sanusi Moruff, lost his life in a gas tanker accident that occurred in Lagos State. The Lagos State Emergency Agency made this known, saying that the accident happened at the Fadeyo area of Lagos State. In a series of tweets on Monday, the agency said the corpse of the deceased had been handed over to members of his family. LASEMA said, “Upon the arrival of the Cobra Squad at the scene of the accident that involved an empty tanker, Quantum Oil with registration number KTU-344XY and a loaded gas tanker with registration number JJJ-258XW, it was discovered…
Former Brazil striker Ronaldinho Gaucho said on Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and was self-isolating. The ex-FC Barcelona and Paris St-Germain (PSG) player was in Belo Horizonte, where he played for local side Atletico Mineiro, when he got his diagnosis. “I arrived in BH (Belo Horizonte) yesterday (Saturday) and I took the COVID test, I tested positive, I am good, asymptomatic so far,” the two-times FIFA World Player of the year said on Sunday. The former AC Milan, Flamengo and Gremio player said he would remain in a hotel until his condition improved. The charismatic forward spent a…
Mircea is coming back into the UEFA Champions League as Dynamo Kyiv coach at the age of seventy-five. His first main task will be defeating Juventus, who are currently working under Coach Andrea Pirlo. Andrea made his playing debut under Lucescu twenty five years ago at sixteen years old. Mircea is no stranger to Champions League fans at Betway, as he has been part of the competition before. The 75-year-old has worked with Inter Milan, Besiktas, Galatasary, and Shakhtar Donetsk before joining Dynamo Kyiv. As such, Mircea will join the list of German managers to make UCL history as one…
End SARS protesters at the Lekki ground have come under heavy gunfire. Bullets fired by security operatives have hit some persons. At least one person has been reported dead, others feared killed and many injured Voices in a viral footage blamed the shootings on soldiers. Gunshots rented the air late Tuesday evening hours after the expiration of a 24-hour curfew declared by the Lagos state government. The state initially said the curfew would commence at 4 pm but at 7 pm, authorities announced that it had been extended to 9 pm. Apparently, the change of time has not helped the…
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is confident defender Virgil van Dijk will come back stronger as the Dutchman undergoes knee surgery and faces a battle to play again this season. The English Premier League (EPL) champions said on Sunday that Van Dijk has damaged knee ligaments. This followed a challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Van Dijk’s knee operation has yet to be scheduled and Klopp did not put a timescale on the centre back’s return. “A few things are clear… he now will be out for a while,” Klopp told Liverpool’s website. “I…
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released its framework for the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP). The framework was released by the Development Financing department of the apex bank through its official website on Monday. It stated that introduction of the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) effective Sept. 1, had put increased emphasis on the need to close the metering gap in the NESI. “Closing this gap will enhance the efficiency of revenue collection by Distribution Companies (DisCos) and thereby facilitate meeting their obligations to other upstream market participants. “According to the analysis provided by…
China is stepping up the construction of its 5G network and has now built over 600,000 5G base stations, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). With the rapid increase in 5G users, the number of connected devices on the network has exceeded 150 million, data from the ministry showed. “In the next three years, China will be at the introduction stage of 5G development, so it is necessary to make proactive moves in construction,” said Wen Ku, an official with the MIIT. The COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated the implementation of digital applications, aided by the development…
The Nigerian Army has said the newly-launched Exercise Crocodile Smile VI has nothing to do with the ongoing ENDSARS protests across the country. The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, indicated this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Musa emphasised that the exercise is a yearly event set out to train officers and men in its efforts to ensure the safety and security of Nigeria and its citizens. “It is a yearly exercise in the Army Calendar/Forecast of Events which traditionally holds from October to December of each year. According to Musa, this year’s exercise is scheduled…
The Lagos State Government have lost over N200 Million to the closure of tollgates as the #EndSARS protests on the Island enters its 9th day. The figure was obtained from the daily and monthly targets set for the tollgates by the government, which owns the tollgates, which are being managed by the Lekki Concession Company. A Lagos State commissioner, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge was expected to generate about N10m daily, while the Admiralty Circle Plaza along the Lekki-Epe Expressway was not expected to generate less than N16.6m a day. “At least 80,000 cars…
