Shoprite has announced the closure of its branch at Novare Central Mall in Wuse Zone 5 Abuja. The store, which has been a fixture in the area, will cease operations on June 30, 2024, a decision they said was made after an evaluation of the Company’s financial performance and the prevailing business climate. The announcement, contained in a circular signed by Shoprite’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Folakemi Fadahunsi, outlines the company’s regret over the necessity of this move but emphasizes that it is essential for the long-term growth of Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited. The decision will also impact…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
Despite police warnings, supporters of Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, defied orders and staged a protest on Monday over the local government tenure elongation crisis in Rivers State. The protesters, numbering about 100, gathered near the post office along Azikiwe Road and marched to the Port Harcourt City Local Government Secretariat on Bank Road, where they encountered a police barricade. The demonstrators carried placards with messages such as “Police keep to your words, CTC is unconstitutional” and “Let the court decide,” expressing their dissatisfaction with the current situation and their support for the police to…
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has declared that Higher National Diploma (HND) holders must undergo a one-year mandatory training before their conversion from the Executive to Officers cadre in the civil service. This policy was revealed during a virtual interactive session commemorating the 2024 Civil Service Week. The session, themed “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Life-long, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa,” highlighted the necessity for continuous, inclusive, and high-quality education to meet modern demands. The disparity between…
Senior US officials assured their Israeli counterparts of robust support in the event of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, according to a senior administration official. This comes amid escalating cross-border attacks between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, raising concerns of a broader conflict in the Middle East. Key Israeli officials, including Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, met with top US figures such as National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk. The discussions covered a range of issues, focusing particularly on the…
According to the latest data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Government has expended $15.55 billion on debt servicing between 2019 and 2024. In 2019, Nigeria’s debt service payments amounted to $588.33 million between January and May. This figure soared to $5.40 billion in 2020, marking the highest annual debt servicing cost within the five-year period. The subsequent years saw payments of $2.02 billion in 2021, $2.34 billion in 2022, and $3.43 billion in 2023. Between January and May 2024 alone, the country has paid $2.18 billion in debt service, a 270.9 percent increase compared to…
Saudi Arabia said Sunday that more than 1,300 faithful died during the hajj pilgrimage which took place during intense heat, and that most of the deceased did not have official permits. “Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported. An AFP tally last week, based on official statements and reports from diplomats involved in their countries’ responses, put the toll at more than 1,100. The dead came from more than 10 countries stretching from…
The Oyo State Chapter of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria has announced a seven-day warning strike set to commence on Monday, June 24, 2024. In a letter, the union’s President, John Fabunmi, directed all union members across health institutions, ministries, departments, and local government areas to participate in the strike. The letter states the union’s ongoing efforts to engage the state government, which have thus far been ignored. The letter, dated May 27, 2024, referenced a previous communication to the government that issued a 14-day ultimatum to address the union’s concerns. According to Fabunmi, the state…
The combined operatives of the Nigerian Embassy and a Senegalese-based non-governmental organisation have rescued 24 Nigerian girls who were subjected to sexual exploitation in the Tamaccounda and Kedougou Regions of Senegal. The acting Ambassador of the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, Salihu Abubakar, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Dakar on Sunday. According to him, the girls mostly under-aged, ranging between the ages of 11, 13, and 24 are being trafficked to Senegal, through Cotonou, Republic of Benin, via the Mali to Senegal border for sexual exploitation in Tamaccounda and Kedougou Regions. “These girls and many more…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a snake-guarded shrine in Edo State, used for storing illicit drugs. The operation, conducted in the Igor community of Benin City, revealed a hidden storage hole in a wall, concealed by wallpapers and fetish objects. The NDLEA seized 8.743kg of methamphetamine and various potent strains of cannabis, including Loud, Colorado, and Arizona. During the raid, two women, Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani, were apprehended after the black snake guarding the shrine was neutralized. In another operation in Edo, the NDLEA arrested two men, Obi Ferguson and Ernest Abanum, in Usen…
Nigeria has faced revenue loss of approximately N636.3 billion between January and May 2024, due to a decline in its oil production. This downturn is attributed to continuous pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, significantly impacting the nation’s economy. According to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria’s crude oil production dropped from 1.43 million barrels per day (mbpd) in January to 1.25 mbpd in May. The total volume of crude oil produced in January was 44.22 million barrels, which fell to 38.8 million barrels by May. This represents a production decline of 5.43 million barrels over…
The death toll from a batch of toxic illegal alcohol in India has risen to 53, media reported Sunday, as more victims in hospitals succumbed to the poisonous brew. Tamil Nadu state Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has said the locally brewed arrack drink was laced with poisonous methanol, killing 37 within hours after they drank the illegal alcohol on Tuesday. More than 100 people were rushed to hospital, but some were too sick for medics to save. Hundreds of people die every year in India from cheap alcohol made in backstreet distilleries, but this poisoning is one of the worst…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted thundery and rainy weather conditions from Sunday to Tuesday across Nigeria. The weather outlook, released on Saturday in Abuja, details a series of thunderstorms and rain showers expected to affect various regions of the country over the three-day period. On Sunday, morning thunderstorms are expected over parts of Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Taraba, and Kaduna states. Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated in Zamfara, Kebbi, Kano, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa, Yobe, and Taraba states. The central states, including Plateau, Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benue, and Niger, will…