Author: Olukayode Oke

The confirmed death toll in Turkey following a devastating earthquake which occured in the Syrian-Turkish border region has risen to 3,381. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, AFAD, stated that more than 20,000 people were injured. The authority added that over 5,700 buildings were reported to have collapsed. Weather conditions were also very bad in the region, said Orhan Tatar, head of the earthquake and risk reduction department. According to him, the bad weather included heavy snowfall, downpours and strong winds in the affected regions. Temperatures are around freezing point in some places. The powerful earthquake, measured at magnitude 7.7,…

The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, visited the Abeokuta branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria to explore possible collaboration to ease the distribution challenge in the amount of money residents of the state could withdraw for transactions made in commercial banks. To ensure that no commercial bank in the state stashed away the new naira notes, the governor disclosed that members of his executive council would be monitoring the cash distribution to banks. During a meeting with the management of the CBN led by the Branch Controller, Wahab Oseni, Abiodun expressed disappointment over the continuous rate…

Technology company, Google has said it is planning to release its own conversational Artificial Intelligence service called Bard. Google said Bard is now available to trusted testers ahead of making it more generally available to the public. The company released a search trends report last week, which showed that more people across the globe have an interest in AI. Google’s plan arrived as a reaction to popular OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has become an international trend since its launch in December 2022. Announcing the release of Bard during the company’s earnings call, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, said AI has become a…

The Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Lagos State Government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a joint tax audit system. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu noted that the plan is to address duplication of measures and enable the exchange of data that are relevant to the enforcement of extant tax laws. Sanwo-Olu said the signing of the MoU is necessary for the unity of both parties. “The MoU is in the best interest of the public, as it affirms the reason why we need to come together and strengthen the cordial working relationship between the two…

Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has promised that his administration would support the judiciary to overcome the myriad of operational challenges confronting it in the State. He also reiterated his administration’s promise to better the welfare of the judges of the State judiciary. Adeleke made this known on Monday during the swearing-in of four newly appointed High Court judges. The newly sworn in judges are Honourable Justices Mohammed Adebayo Lasisi, Michael Oludare Awe, Fatimah Adejoke Sodamade and Joseph Olukunle Owolawi. The governor also restated the resolve of his government to carry out a justice sector reform agenda to…

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has been sacked after less than a year in charge. Leeds lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, their seventh Premier League game without a win. They are 17th in the table – above the relegation zone only on goal difference – and last won in the league on 5 November. Leeds finished 17th last season after American Marsch succeeded Marcelo Bielsa in February. A club statement read: “We would like to thank Jesse and his backroom staff for their efforts and wish them well for the future. The process of appointing a new head coach is under…

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has insisted that the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu is fit to rule Nigeria. Fashola explained that Tinubu run the hardest presidential campaign, an indication of his fitness. Featuring on Channels television, Fashion said Tinubu run a very tough schedule. Some Nigerians had raised alarm over Tinubu’s health status. They alleged that the APC flagbearer lacked the capacity to rule the country. However, Fashola said: “We are running a democracy and there are people who have their view on who should and should not be the president. What is…

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday appointed Dr. Duke Okoro as the pioneer Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Orogun in Ughelli North LGA of Delta State. The Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, was initiated by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege and passed into law by the National Assembly. The law was subsequently assented to by President Buhari, commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The appointment of Okoro as the pioneer Rector of the institution was duly considered and approved by the President. Okoro, was the Director of International Development at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State.…

Some transport groups on Monday threatened to occupy the headquarters of the Nigeria National Petroleum Limited over the lingering fuel crisis in the country. In a communique issued in Lagos after a one-day meeting of various associations on Monday, the groups condemned the persistent fuel and gasoline scarcity with no end in sight. The groups which identified themselves in the communique as the Commercial Motorcycles Association of Nigeria, (COMAN), Tricycles Owners Association of Nigeria (TOWAN), National Association of Traders of Nigeria, (NASTAN), Luxurious Bus Operators Union (LUBOU), and Trailer Drivers Association of Nigeria, (TADAN) said, their members can no longer…

Nigeria accounts for the third-highest number of women and girls who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation, with an estimated 19.9 million survivors, two UN agencies have said. The UN agencies — the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Population Fund — also said 4.3 million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation this year and the number is projected to reach 4.6 million by 2030. In a joint statement the agencies noted that the world will miss the target of ending FGM by 2030 without urgent action. February 6 is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that 700,000 persons die out of the 1.1 million new cancer cases recorded in Africa each year Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, made the revelation in a statement marking this year’s World Cancer Day themed ‘Close the Care Gap: Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action.’ She said Africa accounts for nearly 50%t of the global childhood cancer burden by 2050 with the current projections, explaining that “Childhood cancer incidents in sub-Saharan Africa was estimated at 56.3 per million population with significant data challenges.” Moeti maintained that data estimates show a…

Scarcity of new notes persisted in Kaduna on Monday, as food items sellers refused to accept cash transfers. Yam, onion, crayfish, pepper, tomatoes and Maggi sellers refused to accept cash transfers claiming they may fall into wrong hands. Musa Banawa, a trader who sells pepper at the Monday market, said he accepted a transfer of N5,000 last week, but, that he never got credited for that transaction. “A young man alighted from a beautiful car on Saturday, walked to my shop and said he wanted to buy pepper and make a transfer. He did the said transaction before me but…