Author: Editor Francis

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has extended his congratulations to His Royal Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II, on his reinstatement as the 14th Emir of Kano. The announcement was made in a statement released on Thursday by Nelson Chukwudi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor. Governor Fubara expressed his excitement over the news of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor’s reinstatement. This significant development coincided with Sanusi’s visit to Rivers State, where he was actively supporting the administration’s efforts to revitalize the state’s economic landscape. Fubara emphasized that the reinstatement of Muhammad Sanusi II by the…

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The collapse of a stage in heavy winds at a campaign rally in northern Mexico has killed at least nine people, including a child, and injured 121, the governor of Nuevo Leon state said Thursday. The collapse occurred during an event Wednesday evening attended by presidential long-shot candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez, who ran to escape. Videos of the collapse on social media showed people screaming, running away and climbing out from under metal polls. The victims “will not be alone in this tragedy,” Máynez told reporters Wednesday night, adding that he had suspended upcoming campaign events. Afterward, soldiers, police and…

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German economy minister Robert Habeck and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire published a draft concept jointly on Thursday calling for reforms to European Union economic policy. The two ministers called for reducing red tape and stimulating greater economic growth over the next five years. They said that research into artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and aerospace needed to be stimulated. The defence sector and greater cross-border cooperation also needed to be boosted. Messrs Habeck and Le Maire said that European Investment Bank (EIB) investment was needed here. While the concept calls for rapid conversion of the energy sector away from fossil…

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The 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to keep contesting for the presidency as long as he remains healthy. Atiku made this declaration during an interview with the Hausa service of the Voice of America in Abuja. Drawing a parallel to former United States President Abraham Lincoln, who did not win the presidential vote on his first attempt, Atiku expressed his determination to persist in his political ambitions. “Of course, I will keep contesting again and again as long as I am alive and healthy,” he said. “Even the former US President Abraham…

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Former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika and his brother, Ahmad Sirika, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to allegations of involvement in a N19.4 billion contract fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Sirika, his brother, and their company, Enginos Nigeria Limited, on an amended 10-count charge related to the offence. The EFCC’s new charges accuse the former Minister, his brother, and Enginos Nigeria Limited of manipulating their positions to secure lucrative contracts. Specifically, Hadi Sirika is charged with using his position as Minister to confer undue advantage to Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego is his brother, Ahmad…

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The Kano State Assembly on Thursday dissolved all five emirate councils in the state, granting Governor Abba Yusuf the sole constitutional power to appoint new emirs. This decision was made during a plenary session where the Kano State Emirate Council Amendment Bill was considered and passed through its second and third readings. Deputy Speaker Alhaji Muhammad Bello Butu explained that repealing the existing law aims to restore the lost glory of Kano, stating that the division of the Kano emirate into five parts had diminished the state’s capacity and dignity at the national level. Majority Leader Alhaji Lawan Hussaini Dala…

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has called on Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda to provide evidence supporting his claim that some security personnel are involved in and profiting from banditry in the state. The DHQ emphasized that the Armed Forces serve all Nigerians and encouraged anyone with credible information about misconduct to come forward. In a statement released yesterday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, responded to Radda’s comments made during a national television program on May 4. The governor had alleged that banditry had become a business venture involving criminals, government officials, and some security personnel, hindering efforts…

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Norway, Ireland, and Spain have announced their formal recognition of Palestine as a state, a move aimed at fostering peace in the Middle East. The decision has prompted Israel to recall its envoys in response, according to Al Jazeera. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated on Wednesday that recognizing Palestinian statehood, effective from May 28, aligns with a two-state solution that serves Israel’s best interests. “There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition,” he asserted in Oslo. In Dublin, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris echoed this sentiment, joined by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez,…

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The Federal Government has approved the prohibition of money rituals and the glamorising of vices in Nigerian films. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Executive Director and CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Shaibu Husseini disclosed this at a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood held in Enugu on Wednesday. The event was organised by the NFVCB and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa. Movie producers, directors and actors drawn from different parts of the country, as well as leaders of various guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry were present at the event.…

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A murder investigation has been launched into the parents of a three-year-old child who died of starvation in Austria. Police in the western Austrian state of Tyrol said on Wednesday that emergency services were informed of the child’s death in the district of Kufstein, near the border to Germany, earlier on Monday. “According to preliminary autopsy results, the child died due to severe malnutrition,” the police said. The parents, Austrian nationals aged 25 and 26, were arrested, while their three surviving children, aged between 1 and 6 years old, were placed in the care of child welfare services.

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President Bola Tinubu has dismissed Dauda Ali Biu as the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). Biu was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2022, following the retirement of the then Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi. In a recent move, President Tinubu has appointed ACM Shehu Mohammed as the new CEO of the FRSC. The appointment was officially announced in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume. The letter stated that the appointment aligns with Section 7 (1) of the Federal Road Safety Commission Act, 2007, and…

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Information Minister Mohammed Idris says the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration will be low-key. Idris said this at the Ministerial Press Briefing on Wednesday in Abuja. According to him, the move is in line with Mr Tinubu’s desire to serve the country and efficiently use resources for the good of all Nigerians. He said, “The first anniversary will be low-key. There will be no celebration. It will be a sectorial presentation by ministries. This is in line with Tinubu’s administration to ensure efficient and judicious use of resources to deliver dividends of democracy to citizens.” The minister added,…

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