Author: Chief Editor

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja The Federal Government has approved an additional N4,500 monthly to all the 200,000 N-Power beneficiaries. The sum is to be used to to purchase an electronic device which would be loaded with different applications that would further enhance the skills of the beneficiaries and afford them additional training opportunities during the two-year duration of the job programme. The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. Akande said at the last count, 149, 669 Nigerian graduates of the 200,000 engaged by the Federal Government under…

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a godson to former President Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly stealing N2bn from the Niger Delta Development Commission. The EFCC said it traced deposits of N2bn paid into his bank accounts. According to the commission, the suspect, Mr. George Turnah, who is also a former Special Adviser to Mr. Dan Abia, erstwhile Managing Director of the NDDC, was arrested by the Port Harcourt office of the commission. The anti-graft agency said it had searched Turnah’s houses in Yenagoa and Port Harcourt and found some incriminating documents. The EFCC said, “He…

President Donald Trump’s administration has given new powers to the CIA to conduct drone strikes against extremist targets in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The move would represent a change from Obama-era policies that limited the spy agency’s role in conducting paramilitary strikes, pushing responsibility for these to the Pentagon. Obama had insisted on a more cooperative approach in drone strikes, with the Pentagon using intel from the CIA before the Pentagon conducted the attack itself. According to the Journal, the CIA first used its new powers in February when it apparently killed Al-Qaeda leader Abu Khayr…

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kaduna Zonal office, on Tuesday intercepted a sum of N49million in five large 150kg sacks. According to the EFCC, the sacks were intercepted following a tip off. “During a routine baggage screening, five sacks were sighted unattended and without tags containing fresh bulk items suspected to be money,” the anti-graft agency said in a statement. “Upon examination, the bags were found to contain fresh crispy naira notes of N200 denomination in 20 bundles totaling forty million naira and N50 denomination in 180 bundles totaling nine million naira with seal purportedly emanating from…

Azuka Onwuka Recently, a friend asked me why those who have enough money to take care of a community die earlier than those who just have enough to feed their families. I looked around my native community and noticed that many of the wealthy and moderately comfortable people passed on either in their prime or in early old age. But there are many people in the lower financial class that have lived into good old age. That got me thinking. In the rural and semi-urban societies, it seems rich people die earlier than poor people, especially in Nigeria, despite access…

Leicester City’s new manager Craig Shakespeare kept faith with an unchanged team for Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second-leg match at home to Sevilla. Shakespeare has picked the same team for the three matches he has overseen since succeeding Claudio Ranieri, who was sacked as manager after Leicester’s 2-1 loss at Sevilla in the first leg. It is the same team as the one that carried Leicester to the Premier League title last season, with January signing Wilfred Ndidi taking the place of N’Golo Kante, now of Chelsea, in midfield. Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli made eight changes to the team held…

Microwaves spying on people? It might sound ridiculous. But it’s a possibility within the pretty near future — at least in theory. Similar to other smart appliances like refrigerators, TVs and thermostats that have appeared in recent years, some tech companies have suggested the idea of a smart microwave. One idea that was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter last year featured a smart microwave with a built-in microphone. But that product has yet to actually come to fruition. However, even if smart microwaves start hitting the shelves tomorrow, any data they collect will likely be used by companies that want to…

Political parties on Tuesday expressed support to the Independent National Electoral Commission for fixing dates ahead of the 2019 general elections. The parties announced the support to the commission in a communiqué at the end of their meeting with INEC in Abuja. INEC had on Thursday announced Feb. 16, 2019 for Presidential and National Assembly elections and March 2, 2019 for Governorship, State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory Area Councils polls. It explained that fixing the dates was part of its efforts at standardising and ensuring certainty of timetable for general elections in the country. In the communiqué read by…

Monaco are “the best team in the world at scoring goals” in the eyes of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, so the only way to beat them is by taking them on at their own game, he says. “I want to see a team from the first minute looking to win the game. After that, at this level everyone can beat you, but I don’t like my team to speculate,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the Champions League last 16, second leg between the teams. City take a 5-3 lead into Wednesday’s match at the Stade Louis II…

Godwin Isenyo, Kaduna Ahead of the 2019 presidential election, hundreds of youths on Tuesday, trooped to the Kaduna International Airport to receive a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. The youth under the aegis of the Kaduna Articulated and Atikucare Foundation, declared their support for  the former Vice President ahead of the 2019 Presidential election. Atiku, it was learnt  was on his way to Abuja to see President Muhammadu Buhari,  who arrived the country from his 49- day medical vacation in the United Kingdom. Though, the governor of Adamawa State, was sighted at the airport a few minutes before the arrival…